Radio emission from the high-mass X-ray binary BP Cru: first detection
  BP Cru is a well known high-mass X-ray binary composed of a late B hypergiant
(Wray 977) and a neutron star, also observed as the X-ray pulsar GX 301-2. No
information about emission from BP Cru in other bands than X-rays and optical
has been reported to date in the literature, though massive X-ray binaries
containing black holes can have radio emission from a jet. In order to assess
the presence of a radio jet, we searched for radio emission towards BP Cru
using the Australia Compact Array Telescope during a survey for radio emission
from Be/X-ray transients. We probed the 41.5d orbit of BP Cru with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array not only close to periastron but also close
to apastron. BP Cru was clearly detected in our data on 4, possibly 6, of 12
occasions at 4.8 and 8.6 GHz. Our data suggest that the spectral index of the
radio emission is modulated either by the X-ray flux or the orbital phase of
the system. We propose that the radio emission of BP Cru probably arises from
two components: a persistent component, coming from the mass donor Wray 977,
and a periodic component connected to the accretion onto the neutron star,
possibly coming from a (weak and short lived) jet.
