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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.11352 |
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| _version_ | 1866910833858052096 |
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| author | Zhao, QingChang Li, Hong Tao, Lian Feng, Hua |
| author_facet | Zhao, QingChang Li, Hong Tao, Lian Feng, Hua |
| contents | The geometry of the Comptonization corona in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries is still unclear. We conducted time-resolved polarimetric analysis of the archival observations of XTE J1701--462 obtained with the \textit{Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Explorer} during its 2022 outburst, and found that the polarization angle (PA) varied significantly with time when the source was in the normal branch (NB), with $67 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the first epoch, $-34 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the second, and $-58 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the third, last epoch. Meanwhile, the polarization degree remained constant at around 2\%, above the minimum detectable polarization at the 99\% confidence level (MDP$_{99}$). The rapid PA variation causes depolarization in the time-averaged data, resulting in a nondetection as reported in the literature. The rapid (intra-day) PA variation may suggest that there is a fast transformation of the corona geometry, likely switching from a slab geometry with enhanced disk emission and reflection, to a more vertically extended spreading layer geometry. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_11352 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Discovery of Rapid Polarization Angle Variation During the 2022 Outburst of XTE J1701-462 Zhao, QingChang Li, Hong Tao, Lian Feng, Hua High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena The geometry of the Comptonization corona in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries is still unclear. We conducted time-resolved polarimetric analysis of the archival observations of XTE J1701--462 obtained with the \textit{Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Explorer} during its 2022 outburst, and found that the polarization angle (PA) varied significantly with time when the source was in the normal branch (NB), with $67 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the first epoch, $-34 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the second, and $-58 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the third, last epoch. Meanwhile, the polarization degree remained constant at around 2\%, above the minimum detectable polarization at the 99\% confidence level (MDP$_{99}$). The rapid PA variation causes depolarization in the time-averaged data, resulting in a nondetection as reported in the literature. The rapid (intra-day) PA variation may suggest that there is a fast transformation of the corona geometry, likely switching from a slab geometry with enhanced disk emission and reflection, to a more vertically extended spreading layer geometry. |
| title | Discovery of Rapid Polarization Angle Variation During the 2022 Outburst of XTE J1701-462 |
| topic | High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.11352 |