We search for the Fe K${alpha}$ line in spectra of Ultra Compact X-ray Binaries (UCXBs). For this purpose we have analyzed XMM-Newton observations of five confirmed UCXBs. We find that the object 2S 0918-549 - whose optical spectrum bears tentative s
ignatures of a C/O accretion disk - is devoid of any emission features in the 6-7 keV range, with an upper limit of less than 10 eV for the equivalent width (EW) of the iron line. 4U 1916-05 - whose optical spectrum is consistent with reflection from a He-rich accretion disk - exhibits a bright broad iron emission line. This behavior is in agreement with the theoretical predictions presented in Koliopanos, Gilfanov and Bildsten (2013). Namely, we expect strong suppression of the Fe K${alpha}$ emission line in spectra originating in moderately bright (LogLx less than $approx$ 37.5) UCXBs with C/O or O/Ne/Mg-rich donors. On the other hand the EW of the iron line in spectra from UCXBs with He-rich donors is expected to retain its nominal value of $approx$ 100 eV. Our analysis also reveals a strong Fe K${alpha}$ line in the spectrum of 4U 0614+091. This detection points towards a He-rich donor and seems to be at odds with the sources classification as C/O-rich. Nevertheless, a He-rich donor would explain the bursting activity reported for this system. Lastly, based on our theoretical predictions, we attribute the lack of a strong iron emission line - in the two remaining UCXB sources in our sample (XTE J1807-294, 4U 0513-40) - as an indication of a C/O or O/Ne/Mg white dwarf donor. From the upper limits of the Fe K${alpha}$ line EW in 4U 0513-40, 2S 0918-549 and XTE J1807-294 we obtain a lower limit on the oxygen-to-iron ratio,O/Fe$ge$ 10$times$[O/Fe]$_{odot}$.
Non-solar composition of the donor star in ultra-compact X-ray binaries may have a pronounced effect on the fluorescent lines appearing in their spectra due to reprocessing of primary radiation by the accretion disk and the white dwarf surface. We sh
ow that the most dramatic and easily observable consequence of the anomalous C/O abundance, is the significant, by more than an order of magnitude, attenuation of the Ka line of iron. It is caused by screening of the presence of iron by oxygen - in the C/O dominated material the main interaction process for a E ~ 7keV photon is absorption by oxygen rather than by iron, contrary to the solar composition case. Ionization of oxygen at high mass accretion rates adds a luminosity dependence to this behavior - the iron line is significantly suppressed only at low luminosity, log(LX) less than 37-37.5, and should recover its nominal strength at higher luminosity. The increase of the EW of the Ka lines of carbon and oxygen, on the other hand, saturates at rather moderate values. Screening by He is less important, due to its low ionization threshold and because in the accretion disk it is mostly ionized. Consequently, in the case of the He-rich donor, the iron line strength remains close to its nominal value, determined by the iron abundance in the accretion disk. This opens the possibility of constraining the nature of donor stars in UCXBs by means of X-ray spectroscopy with moderate energy resolution.
