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Main Authors: Xiao, Hua, Ji, Long
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15429
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author Xiao, Hua
Ji, Long
author_facet Xiao, Hua
Ji, Long
contents We present NICER observations of accreting X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262 during its faint state ($\lesssim 6\times10^{36}$ erg/s) observed in several type I and II outbursts. We discovered a transition of temporal and spectral properties around the luminosity $L_{\rm t}=3.3\times10^{35}$ erg/s, below which spectra are relatively soft and the pulse profiles have only a narrow peak. The spectra are harder and a secondary hump gradually appears in pulse profiles when $L \gtrsim L_{\rm t}$. We discuss possible physical mechanisms for this transition, including different Comptonization seed photons, the disappearance of gas shocks on the neutron star surface, and the combination of plasma and vacuum polarization effects.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_15429
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Transition Discovered in the Subcritical Regime of 1A 0535+262
Xiao, Hua
Ji, Long
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We present NICER observations of accreting X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262 during its faint state ($\lesssim 6\times10^{36}$ erg/s) observed in several type I and II outbursts. We discovered a transition of temporal and spectral properties around the luminosity $L_{\rm t}=3.3\times10^{35}$ erg/s, below which spectra are relatively soft and the pulse profiles have only a narrow peak. The spectra are harder and a secondary hump gradually appears in pulse profiles when $L \gtrsim L_{\rm t}$. We discuss possible physical mechanisms for this transition, including different Comptonization seed photons, the disappearance of gas shocks on the neutron star surface, and the combination of plasma and vacuum polarization effects.
title A Transition Discovered in the Subcritical Regime of 1A 0535+262
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15429