13 3 v 1 6 M ar 2 00 3 The complete Z - diagram of LMC X – 2

We present results from four Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of the bright low mass X-ray binary LMC X–2. During these observations, which span a year and include over 160 hrs of data, the source exhibits clear evolution through three branches on its hardness-intensity and color-color diagrams, consistent with the flaring, normal, and horizontal branches (FB, NB, HB) of a Z-source, and remarkably similar to Z-tracks derived for GX 17+2, Sco X–1 and GX 349+2. LMC X–2 was observed in the FB, NB, and HB for roughly 30%, 40%, and 30% respectively of the total time covered. The source traces out the full extent of the Z in ∼1 day, and the Z-track shows evidence for secular shifts on a timescale in excess of a few days. Although the count rate of LMC X–2 is low compared with the other known Z-sources due to its greater distance, the power density spectra selected by branch show very-low-frequency noise characteristics at least consistent with those from other Z-sources. We thus confirm the identification of LMC X–2 as a Z-source, the first identified outside our Galaxy.