60 research outputs found
X-ray Spectroscopy of MXB 1728-34 with XMM-Newton
We have analysed an XMM-Newton observation of the low mass X-ray binary and
atoll source MXB 1728-34. The source was in a low luminosity state during the
XMM-Newton observation, corresponding to a bolometric X-ray luminosity of
5*10E36 d^2 erg/s, where d is the distance in units of 5.1 kpc. The 1-11 keV
X-ray spectrum of the source, obtained combining data from all the five
instruments on-board XMM-Newton, is well fitted by a Comptonized continuum.
Evident residuals are present at 6-7 keV which are ascribed to the presence of
a broad iron emission line. This feature can be equally well fitted by a
relativistically smeared line or by a self-consistent, relativistically
smeared, reflection model. Under the hypothesis that the iron line is produced
by reflection from the inner accretion disk, we can infer important information
on the physical parameters of the system, such as the inner disk radius, Rin =
25-100 km, and the inclination of the system, 44{\deg} < i < 60{\deg}.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, Accepted by A&A on 29.03.201
The Swift-BAT survey reveals the orbital period of three high-mass X-ray binaries
A growing number of previously hidden Galactic X-ray sources are now detected
with recent surveys performed by the Integral and Swift satellites. Most of
these new sources eluded past surveys due to their large local X-ray extinction
and consequent low soft X-ray flux. The Swift-BAT performs daily monitoring of
the sky in an energy band (15-150 keV) which is only marginally affected by
X-ray extinction, thus allowing for the search of long periodicities in the
light curve and identification of the nature of the X-ray sources. We performed
a period search using the folding technique in the Swift-BAT light curves of
three Integral sources: IGR J05007-7047, IGR J13186-6257 and IGR J17354-3255.
Their periodograms show significant peaks at 30.770.01 d, 19.9940.01
d and 8.4480.002 d, respectively. We estimate the significance of these
features from the chi squared distribution of all the trials, finding a
probability less than 1.5 that the detections occurred due to
chance. We complement our analysis with the study of their broadband X-ray
emission. We identify the periodicities with the orbital periods of the
sources. The periods are typical for the wind accretors X-ray binaries and we
support this identification showing that also their energy spectra are
compatible with an X-ray spectral emission characteristic of high-mass X-ray
binaries. The spectrum of IGR J05007-704 that resides in the Large Magellanic
Cloud, does not show any intrinsic local absorption, whereas the spectra of the
Galactic sources IGR J17354-3255 and IGR J13186-6257 may be affected by a local
absorber. The folded light curve for IGR J13186-6257 suggests a possible Be
companion star.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
A complete X-ray spectral coverage of the 2010 May-June outbursts of Circinus X-1
Circinus X-1 is a neutron-star-accreting X-ray binary in a wide (P = 16.6 d), eccentric orbit. After two years of relatively low X-ray
luminosity, in May 2010 Circinus X-1 went into outburst, reaching 0.4 Crab
flux. This outburst lasted for about two orbital cycles and was followed by
another shorter and fainter outburst in June. We focus here on the broadband
X-ray spectral evolution of the source as it spans about three order of
magnitudes in flux. We attempt to relate luminosity, spectral shape, local
absorption, and orbital phase. We use multiple Rossi-XTE/PCA (3.0--25 keV) and
Swift/XRT (1.0--9.0 keV) observations and a 20 ks long Chandra/HETGS
observation (1.0--9.0 keV), to comprehensively track the spectral evolution of
the source during all the outbursting phases. These observations were taken
every two/three days and cover about four orbital cycles. The PCA data mostly
cover the major outburst, the XRT data monitor the declining phase of the major
outburst and all the phases of the minor outburst, and Chandra data provide an
essential snapshot of the end of this overall outbursting phase. The X-ray
spectrum can be satisfactorily described by a thermal Comptonization model with
variable neutral local absorption in all phases of the outburst. No other
additive component is statistically required. The first outburst decays
linearly, with an ankle in the light curve as the flux decreases below
\,5 10 erg cm s. At the same time, the
source shows a clear spectral state transition from an optically thick to an
optically thin state. While the characteristics of the first, bright, outburst
can be interpreted within the disk-instability scenario, the following, minor,
outburst shows peculiarities that cannot be easily reconciled in this
framework.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Secular spin-down of the AMP XTE J1751-305
Context. Of the 13 known accreting millisecond pulsars, only a few showed
more than one outburst during the RXTE era. XTE J1751-305 showed, after the
main outburst in 2002, other three dim outbursts. We report on the timing
analysis of the latest one, occurred on October 8, 2009 and serendipitously
observed from its very beginning by RXTE. Aims. The detection of the pulsation
during more than one outburst permits to obtain a better constraint of the
orbital parameters and their evolution as well as to track the secular spin
frequency evolution of the source. Methods. Using the RXTE data of the last
outburst of the AMP XTE J1751-305, we performed a timing analysis to improve
the orbital parameters. Because of the low statistics, we used an epoch folding
search technique on the whole data set to improve the local estimate of the
time of ascending node passage. Results. Using this new orbital solution we
epoch folded data obtaining three pulse phase delays on a time span of 1.2
days, that we fitted using a constant spin frequency model. Comparing this
barycentric spin frequency with that of the 2002 outburst, we obtained a
secular spin frequency derivative of -0.55(12) x 10^{-14} Hz s^{-1}. In the
hypothesis that the secular spin-down is due to a rotating magneto-dipole
emission, consistently with what is assumed for radio pulsars, we estimate the
pulsar's magnetic dipole value. We derive an estimate of the magnetic field
strength at the polar cap of B_{PC} = 4.0(4) x 10^8 Gauss, for a neutron star
mass of 1.4M\odot, assuming the Friedman Pandharipande Skyrme equation of
state.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication on A&
The spin and orbit of the newly discovered pulsar IGR J17480-2446
We present an analysis of the spin and orbital properties of the newly
discovered accreting pulsar IGR J17480-2446, located in the globular cluster
Terzan 5. Considering the pulses detected by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer at
a period of 90.539645(2) ms, we derive a solution for the 21.27454(8) hr binary
system. The binary mass function is estimated to be 0.021275(5) Msun,
indicating a companion star with a mass larger than 0.4 Msun. The X-ray pulsar
spins up while accreting at a rate of between 1.2 and 1.7E-12 Hz/s, in
agreement with the accretion of disc matter angular momentum given the observed
luminosity.
We also report the detection of pulsations at the spin period of the source
during a Swift observation performed ~2 d before the beginning of the RXTE
coverage. Assuming that the inner disc radius lies in between the neutron star
radius and the corotation radius while the source shows pulsations, we estimate
the magnetic field of the neutron star to be within ~2E8 G and ~2.4E10 G. From
this estimate, the value of the spin period and of the observed spin-up rate,
we associate this source with the still poorly sampled population of slow,
mildly recycled, accreting pulsars.Comment: 5 pages, accepted by A&A Letters on 2010 Nov 30. Timing solution
derived on a longer time interval with respect to the previous versio
The discovery of the 401 Hz accreting millisecond pulsar IGR J17498-2921 in a 3.8 hr orbit
We report on the detection of a 400.99018734(1) Hz coherent signal in the
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer light curves of the recently discovered X-ray
transient, IGR J17498-2921. By analysing the frequency modulation caused by the
orbital motion observed between August 13 and September 8, 2011, we derive an
orbital solution for the binary system with a period of 3.8432275(3) hr. The
measured mass function, f(M_2, M_1, i)=0.00203807(8) Msun, allows to set a
lower limit of 0.17 Msun on the mass of the companion star, while an upper
limit of 0.48 Msun is set by imposing that the companion star does not overfill
its Roche lobe. We observe a marginally significant evolution of the signal
frequency at an average rate of -(6.3 +/- 1.9)E-14 Hz/s. The low statistical
significance of this measurement and the possible presence of timing noise
hampers a firm detection of any evolution of the neutron star spin. We also
present an analysis of the spectral properties of IGR J17498-2921 based on the
observations performed by the Swift-X-ray Telescope and the RXTE-Proportional
Counter Array between August 12 and September 22, 2011. During most of the
outburst, the spectra are modeled by a power-law with an index Gamma~1.7-2,
while values of ~3 are observed as the source fades into quiescence.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication by A&A Letters on
7/11/201
The long outburst of the black hole transient GRS 1716-249 observed in the X-ray and radio band
We present the spectral and timing analysis of X-ray observations performed on the Galactic black hole transient GRS 1716-249 during the 2016-2017 outburst. The source was almost continuously observed with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from 2016 December until 2017 October. The X-ray hardness ratio and timing evolution indicate that the source approached the soft state three times during the outburst, even though it never reached the canonical soft spectral state. Thus, GRS 1716-249 increases the number of black hole transients showing outbursts with 'failed' state transition. During the softening events, XRT and BAT broad-band spectral modelling, performed with thermal Comptonization plus a multicolour disc black-body, showed a photon index (G < 2) and an inner disc temperature (kTin = 0.2- 0.5 keV) characteristic of the hard intermediate state. This is in agreement with the root mean square amplitude of the flux variability (rms > 10 per cent). We find that, coherently with a scenario in which the disc moves closer to the compact object, the accretion disc inner radius decreases with the increase of the inner disc temperature, until a certain point when the temperature starts to increase at constant radius. This, in addition with the spectral analysis results, suggests that either the accretion disc reached the innermost stable circular orbit during the hard intermediate state or the hot accretion flow might recondensate in an inner mini-disc.We report on the radio observations performed during the outburst finding that GRS 1716-249 is located on the radio-quiet 'outlier' branch of the radio/X-ray luminosity plane
The pulse profile and spin evolution of the accreting pulsar in Terzan 5, IGR J17480-2446, during its 2010 outburst
(abridged) We analyse the spectral and pulse properties of the 11 Hz
transient accreting pulsar, IGR J17480-2446, in the globular cluster Terzan 5,
considering all the available RXTE, Swift and INTEGRAL observations performed
between October and November, 2010.
By measuring the pulse phase evolution we conclude that the NS spun up at an
average rate of =1.48(2)E-12 Hz/s, compatible with the accretion of the
Keplerian angular momentum of matter at the inner disc boundary. Similar to
other accreting pulsars, the stability of the pulse phases determined by using
the second harmonic component is higher than that of the phases based on the
fundamental frequency. Under the assumption that the second harmonic is a good
tracer of the neutron star spin frequency, we successfully model its evolution
in terms of a luminosity dependent accretion torque. If the NS accretes the
specific Keplerian angular momentum of the in-flowing matter, we estimate the
inner disc radius to lie between 47 and 93 km when the luminosity attains its
peak value. Smaller values are obtained if the interaction between the magnetic
field lines and the plasma in the disc is considered.
The phase-averaged spectrum is described by thermal Comptonization of photons
with energy of ~1 keV. A hard to soft state transition is observed during the
outburst rise. The Comptonized spectrum evolves from a Comptonizing cloud at an
electron temperature of ~20 keV towards an optically denser cloud at kT_e~3
keV. At the same time, the pulse amplitude decreases from 27% to few per cent
and becomes strongly energy dependent. We discuss various possibilities to
explain such a behaviour, proposing that at large accretion luminosities a
significant fraction of the in-falling matter is not channelled towards the
magnetic poles, but rather accretes more evenly onto the NS surface.Comment: To appear in MNRA
The Similarity of Broad Iron Lines in X-ray Binaries and Active Galactic Nuclei
We have compared the 2001 XMM-Newton spectra of the stellar mass black hole
binary XTE J1650-500 and the active galaxy MGC-6-30-15, focusing on the broad,
excess emission features at ~4--7 keV displayed by both sources. Such features
are frequently observed in both low mass X-ray binaries and active galactic
nuclei. For the former case it is generally accepted that the excess arises due
to iron emission, but there is some controversy over whether their width is
partially enhanced by instrumental processes, and hence also over the intrinsic
broadening mechanism. Meanwhile, in the latter case, the origin of this feature
is still subject to debate; physically motivated reflection and absorption
interpretations are both able to reproduce the observed spectra. In this work
we make use of the contemporaneous BeppoSAX data to demonstrate that the
breadth of the excess observed in XTE J1650-500 is astrophysical rather than
instrumental, and proceed to highlight the similarity of the excesses present
in this source and MGC-6-30-15. Both optically thick accretion discs and
optically thin coronae, which in combination naturally give rise to
relativistically-broadened iron lines when the disc extends close to the black
hole, are commonly observed in both class of object. The simplest solution is
that the broad emission features present arise from a common process, which we
argue must be reflection from the inner regions of an accretion disc around a
rapidly rotating black hole; for XTE J1650-500 we find spin constraints of 0.84
< a* < 0.98 at the 90 per cent confidence level. Other interpretations proposed
for AGN add potentially unnecessary complexities to the theoretical framework
of accretion in strong gravity.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 22 pages, 17 figure
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