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Register a new userWarped disks during type II outbursts in Be/X-ray binaries: evidence from optical polarimetry
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Current models that explain giant (type II) X-ray outbursts in Be/X-ray binaries (BeXB), are based on the idea of highly distorted disks. They are believed to occur when a misaligned and warped disk becomes eccentric, allowing the neutron star to capture a large amount of material. The BeXB 4U 0115+63 underwent two major outbursts in 2015 and 2017. Our aim is to investigate whether the structural changes in the disk expected during type II outbursts can be detected through optical polarimetry. We present the first optical polarimetric observations and new optical spectra of the BeXB 4U 0115+63 covering the period 2013-2017. We study in detail the shape of the H$alpha$ line profile and the polarization parameters before, during, and after the occurrence of a type II X-ray outburst. We find significant changes in polarization degree and polarization angle and highly distorted line profiles during the 2017 X-ray outburst. The degree of polarization decreased by $sim$ 1%, while the polarization angle, which is supposed to be related with the disk orientation, first increased by $sim 10^{circ}$ in about two months and then decreased by a similar amount and on a similar timescale once the X-ray activity ceased.We interpret the polarimetric and spectroscopic variability as evidence for the presence of a warped disk.
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Be/X-ray binary systems exhibit both periodic (Type I) X-ray outbursts and giant (Type II) outbursts, whose origin has remained elusive. We suggest that Type II X-ray outbursts occur when a highly misaligned decretion disk around the Be star becomes eccentric, allowing the compact object companion to capture a large amount of material at periastron. Using 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations we model the long term evolution of a representative Be/X-ray binary system. We find that periodic (Type I) X-ray outbursts occur when the neutron star is close to periastron for all disk inclinations. Type II outbursts occur for large misalignment angles and are associated with eccentricity growth that occurs on a timescale of about 10 orbital periods. Mass capture from the eccentric decretion disk results in an accretion disk around the neutron star whose estimated viscous time is long enough to explain the extended duration of Type II outbursts. Previous studies suggested that the outbursts are caused by a warped disk but our results suggest that this is not sufficient, the disk must be both highly misaligned and eccentric to initiate a Type II accretion event.
We have investigated the spectral and timing variability of four accreting X-ray pulsars with Be-type companions during major X-ray outbursts. Different spectral states were defined according to the value of the X-ray colours and flux. Transient Be/X-ray binaries exhibit two branches in their colour-colour and colour-intensity diagrams: the horizontal branch corresponds to a low-intensity state and shows the larger fractional rms, similar to the the island state in atolls and horizontal branch in Z sources; the diagonal branch corresponds to a high-intensity state, in which the source spends about 75% of the total duration of the outburst. Despite the complexity of the power spectra due to the peaks of the pulse period and its harmonics, the aperiodic variability of Be/X-ray binaries can be described with a relatively low number of Lorentzian components. Some of these components can be associated with the same type of noise as that seen in low-mass X-ray binaries, although the characteristic frequencies are about one order of magnitude lower. The pattern traced by V 0332+53 results in a Z shaped track, similar to the low-mass Z sources, without the flaring branch. In contrast, the horizontal branch in 4U 0115+63, KS 1947+300 and EXO 2030+375 corresponds to a low/soft state, not seen in other types of X-ray binaries. The noise at very low frequencies follows a power law in V 0332+53 (like in LMXB Z) and it is flat-topped in 4U 0115+63, KS 1947+300 and EXO 2030+375 (like in LMXB atoll). V 0332+53 shows a noise component coupled with the periodic variability that it is not seen in any of the other three sources.
The discovery of source states in the X-ray emission of black-hole binaries and neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries constituted a major step forward in the understanding of the physics of accretion onto compact objects. While there are numerous studies on the correlated timing and spectral variability of these systems, very little work has been done on high-mass X-ray binaries, the third major type of X-ray binaries. The main goal of this work is to investigate whether Be accreting X-ray pulsars display source states and characterise those states through their spectral and timing properties. We have made a systematic study of the power spectra, energy spectra and X-ray hardness-intensity diagrams of nine Be/X-ray pulsars. The evolution of the timing and spectral parameters were monitored through changes over two orders of magnitude in luminosity. We find that Be/X-ray pulsars trace two different branches in the hardness-intensity diagram: the horizontal branch corresponds to a low-intensity state of the source and it is characterised by fast colour and spectral changes and high X-ray variability. The diagonal branch is a high-intensity state that emerges when the X-ray luminosity exceeds a critical limit. The photon index anticorrelates with X-ray flux in the horizontal branch but correlates with it in the diagonal branch. The correlation between QPO frequency and X-ray flux reported in some pulsars is also observed if the peak frequency of the broad-band noise that accounts for the aperiodic variability is used. The two branches may reflect two different accretion modes, depending on whether the luminosity of the source is above or below a critical value. This critical luminosity is mainly determined by the magnetic field strength, hence it differs for different sources.
We report the timing and spectral properties of Be/X-ray binary pulsar GX 304-1 by using two Suzaku observations during its 2010 August and 2012 January X-ray outbursts. Pulsations at ~275 s were clearly detected in the light curves from both the observations. Pulse profiles were found to be strongly energy-dependent. During 2010 observation, prominent dips seen in soft X-ray ($leq$10 keV) pulse profiles were found to be absent at higher energies. However, during 2012 observation, the pulse profiles were complex due to the presence of several dips. Significant changes in the shape of the pulse profiles were detected at high energies ($>$35 keV). A phase shift of $sim$0.3 was detected while comparing the phase of main dip in pulse profiles below and above $sim$35 keV. Broad-band energy spectrum of pulsar was well described by a partially absorbed Negative and Positive power-law with Exponential cutoff (NPEX) model with 6.4 keV iron line and a cyclotron absorption feature. Energy of cyclotron absorption line was found to be $sim$53 and 50 keV for 2010 and 2012 observations, respectively, indicating a marginal positive dependence on source luminosity. Based on the results obtained from phase-resolved spectroscopy, the absorption dips in the pulse profiles can be interpreted as due to the presence of additional matter at same phases. Observed positive correlation between cyclotron line energy and luminosity, and significant pulse-phase variation of cyclotron parameters are discussed in the perspective of theoretical models on cyclotron absorption line in X-ray pulsars.
X-ray and UV line emission in X-ray binaries can be accounted for by a hot corona. Such a corona forms through irradiation of the outer disk by radiation produced in the inner accretion flow. The same irradiation can produce a strong outflow from the disk at sufficiently large radii. Outflowing gas has been recently detected in several X-ray binaries via blue-shifted absorption lines. However, the causal connection between winds produced by irradiation and the blue-shifted absorption lines is problematic, particularly in the case of GRO J1655-40. Observations of this source imply wind densities about two orders of magnitude higher than theoretically predicted. This discrepancy does not mean that these `thermal disk-winds cannot explain blue-shifted absorption in other systems, nor that they are unimportant as a sink of matter. Motivated by the inevitability of thermal disk-winds and wealth of data taken with current observatories such as Chandra, XMM-Newton and Suzaku, as well as the future AstroH mission, we decided to investigate the requirements to produce very dense winds. Using physical arguments, hydrodynamical simulations and absorption line calculations, we found that modification of the heating and cooling rates by a factor of a few results in an increase of the wind density of up to an order of magnitude and the wind velocity by a factor of about two. Therefore, the mass loss rate from the disk can be one, if not even two orders of magnitude higher than the accretion rate onto the central object. Such a high mass loss rate is expected to destabilize the disk and perhaps provides a mechanism for state change.
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