A peculiar thermonuclear X-ray burst from the transiently accreting neutron star SAX J1810.8-2609

We report on a thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray burst that was detected from the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary SAX J1810.8-2609 in 2007 with Swift. This event was longer (≃20 min) and more energetic (a radiated energy of E b ≃6.5×1039 erg) than other X-ray bursts observed from this source. A possible explanation for the peculiar properties is that the X-ray burst occurred during the early stage of the outburst when the neutron star was relatively cold, which allows for the accumulation of a thicker layer of fuel. We also report on a new accretion outburst of SAX J1810.8-2609 that was observed with MAXI and Swift in 2012. The outburst had a duration of ≃17 days and reached a 2-10 keV peak luminosity of ≃ 3 × 1037 (D/5.7 kpc)2 erg s−1. This is a factor >10 more luminous than the two previous outbursts observed from the source, and classifies it as a bright rather than a faint X-ray transient.