Ups and downs in the X-ray emission of the colliding wind binaries HD 168112 and HD 167971

Context. The long-period O-star binary system HD 168112 and the triple O-star system HD 167971 are well-known sources of non-thermal radio emission that arises from a colliding wind interaction. The wind-wind collisions in these systems should result in phase-dependent X-ray emissions. The presence of a population of relativistic electrons in the wind interaction zone could affect the properties of the X-ray emission and make it deviate from the behaviour expected for adiabatic shocks. Aims. We investigate the X-ray emission of these systems with the goals of quantifying the fraction of the X-ray flux arising from wind interactions and determining whether these emissions follow the predictions for adiabatic wind-wind collisions. Methods. Six X-ray observations were collected with XMM-Newton. Three observations were scheduled around the most recent periastron passage of HD 168112. Spectra and light curves were analysed and compared with simple predictions of model calculations for X-ray emission from colliding wind systems. Results. The X-ray emission of HD 168112 varies as the inverse of the orbital separation, as expected for an adiabatic wind interaction zone. The relative contribution of intrinsic X-ray emission from wind-embedded shocks varies between 38% at periastron to 81% at apastron. The wind-wind collision zone remains adiabatic even around periastron passage. The X-ray emission of HD 167971 displays variations on the orbital timescale of the inner eclipsing binary. The existing data of this system do not allow us to probe variations on the timescale of the outer orbit. Conclusions. Shock modification due to the action of relativistic electrons does not seem to be efficiently operating in the HD 168112 system. In the existing observations, a significant part of the emission of HD 167971 must arise in the inner eclipsing binary. The origin of this emission is as yet unclear.