A Two-Stage Kick Scenario for the Peculiar LMXB GX 1+4
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866912604899770368 |
|---|---|
| author | Wang, Xiangyu Ivy Gao, Shi-Jie Li, Xiang-Dong |
| author_facet | Wang, Xiangyu Ivy Gao, Shi-Jie Li, Xiang-Dong |
| contents | The low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) GX 1+4 stands out with its unique properties. Despite being an old system, it hosts a strongly magnetized neutron star (NS), a trait usually linked to younger systems. Its exceptionally long orbital period (1160 days) and low eccentricity (0.101) imply that the NS formed with minimal mass loss and a weak natal kick. These features collectively point towards the NS having formed through the accretion induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf (WD). However, GX 1+4's unusually high peculiar velocity (~ 189.36 km/s) defies standard AIC explanations. To address this discrepancy, we propose a two-stage kick scenario within the AIC framework: an initial natal kick followed by a delayed electromagnetic "rocket effect" kick. Our Monte Carlo simulations indicate that while the natal kick (< 100 km/s) can generate a wide range of orbital eccentricities, the subsequent rocket kick (~ 240-480 km/s) explains both the high systemic velocity and low eccentricity. This two-stage kick mechanism naturally reproduces the observed characteristics of GX 1+4, provided that the NS's initially buried magnetic field re-emerges after the acceleration process ends. Our study represents the first attempt to quantitatively constrain the kick velocities in GX 1+4 and underscores the importance of possible rocket kicks in forming such peculiar LMXB systems. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_21177 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | A Two-Stage Kick Scenario for the Peculiar LMXB GX 1+4 Wang, Xiangyu Ivy Gao, Shi-Jie Li, Xiang-Dong High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena The low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) GX 1+4 stands out with its unique properties. Despite being an old system, it hosts a strongly magnetized neutron star (NS), a trait usually linked to younger systems. Its exceptionally long orbital period (1160 days) and low eccentricity (0.101) imply that the NS formed with minimal mass loss and a weak natal kick. These features collectively point towards the NS having formed through the accretion induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf (WD). However, GX 1+4's unusually high peculiar velocity (~ 189.36 km/s) defies standard AIC explanations. To address this discrepancy, we propose a two-stage kick scenario within the AIC framework: an initial natal kick followed by a delayed electromagnetic "rocket effect" kick. Our Monte Carlo simulations indicate that while the natal kick (< 100 km/s) can generate a wide range of orbital eccentricities, the subsequent rocket kick (~ 240-480 km/s) explains both the high systemic velocity and low eccentricity. This two-stage kick mechanism naturally reproduces the observed characteristics of GX 1+4, provided that the NS's initially buried magnetic field re-emerges after the acceleration process ends. Our study represents the first attempt to quantitatively constrain the kick velocities in GX 1+4 and underscores the importance of possible rocket kicks in forming such peculiar LMXB systems. |
| title | A Two-Stage Kick Scenario for the Peculiar LMXB GX 1+4 |
| topic | High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21177 |