On the radio emitting high mass X-ray binary LS 5039

We present new optical – near–IR spectroscopic and photometric observations of the newly discovered galactic microquasar LS 5039, which indicate a classification for the mass donor in the system of O6.5V((f)). Optical spectroscopy and photometry shows no variability over a timescale of years, and we find no evidence of modulation by, or emission from the compact companion in these data. However significant photometric variability (∼0.4 mag) is present in the H and K bands between 1995–2000. Such variability has been observed in other radio bright X-ray binaries where it has been attributed to synchrotron emission from the jet. However, given the non–thermal spectral index of the radio emission in LS 5039 this explanation appears unlikely, predicting a near–IR flux ∼3 orders of magnitude too small to contribute significantly at such wavelengths. Nightly optical photometry over a 21 day period between 2000 May–June reveals variability at a level of a few hundredths of a magnitude, with no periodicity or long term trend visible. Likewise, while the radio lightcurves show moderate variability (∼20 per cent of the mean flux density) we find no evidence of periodic modulation – Monte Carlo simulations constrain any such periodic variability to <4 per cent modulation at 2.25 GHz. The differences in behaviour between LS 5039 and Cygnus X-1 – the most closely related radio emitting High Mass X-ray Binary – are likely to be a result of the weaker stellar wind and probable greater orbital separation of LS 5039 compared