Signs of Magnetic Accretion in the X-ray Pulsar Binary GX 301-2

Abstract

Observations of the cyclotron resonance scattering feature in the X-ray spectrum of GX 301-2 suggest that the surface field of the neutron star is B_CRSF ~ 4 x 10^{12}G. The same value has been derived in modelling the rapid spin-up episodes in terms of the Keplerian disk accretion scenario. However, the spin-down rate observed during the spin-down trends significantly exceeds the value expected in currently used spin-evolution scenarios. This indicates that either the surface field of the star exceeds 50 x B_CRSF, or a currently used accretion scenario is incomplete. We show that the above discrepancy can be avoided if the accreting material is magnetized. The magnetic pressure in the accretion flow increases more rapidly than its ram pressure and, under certain conditions, significantly affects the accretion picture. The spin-down torque applied to the neutron star in this case is larger than that evaluated within a non-magnetized accretion scenario. We find that the observed spin evolution of the pulsar can be explained in terms of the magnetically controlled accretion flow scenario provided the surface field of the neutron star is ~ B_CRSF.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap