X-ray and GeV characteristics of the gamma-ray binary LS I +61° 303

LS I +61° 303 is a rare high mass gamma ray binary, emitting most of its energy above 100 MeV. It is composed of a Be star and a compact companion, which is likely a neutron star as suggested by the recent detection of radio pulsations from the location of the binary. LS I +61° 303 exhibits variability and complex periodic behavior from radio wavelengths to TeV gamma rays. The behavior in very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma rays is key in probing the extreme particle acceleration and emission mechanisms in the system. The system has an orbital period of 26.5 days with an eccentricity recently measured to be less than 0.2. It also exhibits a superorbital flux modulation in radio and VHE gamma rays with a period of roughly 1667 days, which has motivated several possible explanations including a modulation in the Be star's decretion disk and a beat frequency between the orbital period of the binary and the precessional period of the compact object's jet. In this presentation I will explore the X-ray and GeV gamma-ray characteristics of LS I +61° 303 and discuss ongoing efforts to study this object's very-high-energy gamma-ray characteristics with VERITAS.