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Main Authors: Manca, A., Marino, A., Borghese, A., Zelati, F. Coti, Mastroserio, G., Sanna, A., Homan, J., Connors, R., Del Santo, M., Padilla, M. Armas, Muñoz-Darias, T., Di Salvo, T., Rea, N., García, J. A., Riggio, A., Baglio, M. C., Burderi, L.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.20019
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author Manca, A.
Marino, A.
Borghese, A.
Zelati, F. Coti
Mastroserio, G.
Sanna, A.
Homan, J.
Connors, R.
Del Santo, M.
Padilla, M. Armas
Muñoz-Darias, T.
Di Salvo, T.
Rea, N.
García, J. A.
Riggio, A.
Baglio, M. C.
Burderi, L.
author_facet Manca, A.
Marino, A.
Borghese, A.
Zelati, F. Coti
Mastroserio, G.
Sanna, A.
Homan, J.
Connors, R.
Del Santo, M.
Padilla, M. Armas
Muñoz-Darias, T.
Di Salvo, T.
Rea, N.
García, J. A.
Riggio, A.
Baglio, M. C.
Burderi, L.
contents MAXI J1834-021 is a new X-ray transient that was discovered in February 2023. We analysed the spectral and timing properties of MAXI J1834-021 using NICER, NuStar and Swift data collected between March and October 2023. The light curve showed a main peak followed by a second activity phase. The majority of the spectra extracted from the individual NICER observations could be adequately fitted with a Comptonisation component alone, while a few of them required an additional thermal component. The spectral evolution is consistent with a softening trend as the source gets brighter in X-rays. We also analysed the broadband spectrum combining data from simultaneous NICER and NuStar observations on 2023 March 10. This spectrum can be fitted with a disc component with a temperature at the inner radius of $kT_{\rm in} \sim 0.4$ keV and a Comptonisation component with a power-law photon index of $Γ\sim 1.8$. By including a reflection component in the modelling, we obtained a 3$σ$ upper limit for the inner disc radius of 11.4 gravitational radii. We also detected a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO), whose central frequency varies with time (from 2 Hz to $\sim$0.9 Hz) and anti-correlates with the hardness ratio. Based on the observed spectral-timing properties, MAXI J1834-021, can be classified as a low-mass X-ray binary in outburst. However, we are not able to draw a definitive conclusion on the nature of the accreting compact object, which at the moment could as well be a black hole or a neutron star.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_20019
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the nature of the X-ray binary transient MAXI J1834-021: clues from its first observed outburst
Manca, A.
Marino, A.
Borghese, A.
Zelati, F. Coti
Mastroserio, G.
Sanna, A.
Homan, J.
Connors, R.
Del Santo, M.
Padilla, M. Armas
Muñoz-Darias, T.
Di Salvo, T.
Rea, N.
García, J. A.
Riggio, A.
Baglio, M. C.
Burderi, L.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
MAXI J1834-021 is a new X-ray transient that was discovered in February 2023. We analysed the spectral and timing properties of MAXI J1834-021 using NICER, NuStar and Swift data collected between March and October 2023. The light curve showed a main peak followed by a second activity phase. The majority of the spectra extracted from the individual NICER observations could be adequately fitted with a Comptonisation component alone, while a few of them required an additional thermal component. The spectral evolution is consistent with a softening trend as the source gets brighter in X-rays. We also analysed the broadband spectrum combining data from simultaneous NICER and NuStar observations on 2023 March 10. This spectrum can be fitted with a disc component with a temperature at the inner radius of $kT_{\rm in} \sim 0.4$ keV and a Comptonisation component with a power-law photon index of $Γ\sim 1.8$. By including a reflection component in the modelling, we obtained a 3$σ$ upper limit for the inner disc radius of 11.4 gravitational radii. We also detected a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO), whose central frequency varies with time (from 2 Hz to $\sim$0.9 Hz) and anti-correlates with the hardness ratio. Based on the observed spectral-timing properties, MAXI J1834-021, can be classified as a low-mass X-ray binary in outburst. However, we are not able to draw a definitive conclusion on the nature of the accreting compact object, which at the moment could as well be a black hole or a neutron star.
title On the nature of the X-ray binary transient MAXI J1834-021: clues from its first observed outburst
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.20019