scholarly journals Inertial oscillation modes of an inclined dipolar magnetosphere as a source of band-limited noise in X-ray pulsars

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Pavel Abolmasov ◽  
Anton Biryukov

ABSTRACT Magnetic fields of strongly magnetized stars can trap conducting matter due to frozen-in condition. In the force-free regime, the motion of the matter along the field lines may be considered in the ‘bead on a wire’ approximation. Such a motion, if gravity and centrifugal forces are taken into account, has equilibrium points, some of which are stable. In most cases, stability is possible in about several per cent of the possible locations. Corresponding oscillation frequencies span the range from zero to $\sqrt{3}$ of the spin frequency. We suggest that this variability mode may be excited in some X-ray pulsars during the outbursts and create the peaked broad-band noise component near the break frequency in the power density spectrum, as well as produce some of the quasi-periodic oscillation features in this frequency range. Existence of this variability does not require any changes in mass accretion rate and involves only a small amount of matter infiltrating from the disc and magnetic flow due to interchange instabilities.

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (1) ◽  
pp. 405-415
Author(s):  
E Massaro ◽  
F Capitanio ◽  
M Feroci ◽  
T Mineo

ABSTRACT The X-ray emission from the microquasar GRS 1915+105 shows, together with a very complex variability on different time-scales, the presence of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (LFQPOs) at frequencies lower than ∼30 Hz. In this paper, we demonstrate that these oscillations can be consistently and naturally obtained as solutions of a system of two ordinary differential equations, which is able to reproduce almost all variability classes of GRS 1915+105. We modified the Hindmarsh–Rose model and obtained a system with two dynamical variables x(t), y(t), where the first one represents the X-ray flux from the source, and an input function J(t), whose mean level J0 and its time evolution is responsible of the variability class. We found that for values of J0 around the boundary between the unstable and the stable interval, where the equilibrium points are of spiral type, one obtains an oscillating behaviour in the model light curve similar to the observed ones with a broad Lorentzian feature in the power density spectrum and, occasionally, with one or two harmonics. Rapid fluctuations of J(t), as those originating from turbulence, stabilize the LFQPOs, resulting in a slowly amplitude modulated pattern. To validate the model, we compared the results with real RXTE data, which resulted remarkably similar to those obtained from the mathematical model. Our results allow us to favour an intrinsic hypothesis on the origin of LFQPOs in accretion discs ultimately related to the same mechanism responsible for the spiking limit cycle.


Author(s):  
M M Serim ◽  
Ö C Özüdoğru ◽  
Ç K Dönmez ◽  
Ş Şahiner ◽  
D Serim ◽  
...  

Abstract We investigate timing and spectral characteristics of the transient X-ray pulsar 2S 1417−624 during its 2018 outburst with NICER follow up observations. We describe the spectra with high-energy cut-off and partial covering fraction absorption (PCFA) model and present flux-dependent spectral changes of the source during the 2018 outburst. Utilizing the correlation-mode switching of the spectral model parameters, we confirm the previously reported sub-critical to critical regime transitions and we argue that secondary transition from the gas-dominated to the radiation pressure-dominated disc do not lead to significant spectral changes below 12 keV. Using the existing accretion theories, we model the spin frequency evolution of 2S 1417−624 and investigate the noise processes of a transient X-ray pulsar for the first time using both polynomial and luminosity-dependent models for the spin frequency evolution. For the first model, the power density spectrum of the torque fluctuations indicate that the source exhibits red noise component (Γ ∼ −2) within the timescales of outburst duration which is typical for disc-fed systems. On the other hand, the noise spectrum tends to be white on longer timescales with high timing noise level that indicates an ongoing accretion process in between outburst episodes. For the second model, most of the red noise component is eliminated and the noise spectrum is found to be consistent with a white noise structure observed in wind-fed systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A101 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bogensberger ◽  
G. Ponti ◽  
C. Jin ◽  
T. M. Belloni ◽  
H. Pan ◽  
...  

Aims. Flip-flops are top-hat-like X-ray flux variations, which have been observed in some transient accreting black hole binary systems, and feature simultaneous changes in the spectral hardness and the power density spectrum (PDS). They occur at a crucial time in the evolution of these systems, when the accretion disc emission starts to dominate over coronal emission. Flip-flops remain a poorly understood phenomenon, so we aim to thoroughly investigate them in a system featuring several such transitions. Methods. Within the multitude of observations of Swift J1658.2-4242 during its outburst in early 2018, we detected 15 flip-flops, enabling a detailed analysis of their individual properties and the differences between them. We present observations by XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, Astrosat, Swift, Insight-HXMT, INTEGRAL, and ATCA. We analysed their light curves, searched for periodicities, computed their PDSs, and fitted their X-ray spectra, to investigate the source behaviour during flip-flop transitions and how the interval featuring flip-flops differs from the rest of the outburst. Results. The flip-flops of Swift J1658.2-4242 are of an extreme variety, exhibiting flux differences of up to 77% within ∼100 s, which is much larger than what has been seen previously. We observed radical changes in the PDS simultaneous with the sharp flux variations, featuring transitions between the quasi-periodic oscillation types C and A, which have never been observed before. Changes in the PDS are delayed, but more rapid than changes in the light curve. Flip-flops occur in two intervals within the outburst, separated by about two weeks in which these phenomena were not seen. Transitions between the two flip-flop states occurred at random integer multiples of a fundamental period of 2.761 ks in the first interval and 2.61 ks in the second. Spectral analysis reveals the high and low flux flip-flop states to be very similar, but distinct from intervals lacking flip-flops. A change of the inner temperature of the accretion disc is responsible for most of the flux difference in the flip-flops. We also highlight the importance of correcting for the influence of the dust scattering halo on the X-ray spectra.


Galaxies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Debjit Chatterjee ◽  
Arghajit Jana ◽  
Kaushik Chatterjee ◽  
Riya Bhowmick ◽  
Sujoy Kumar Nath ◽  
...  

We study the properties of the faint X-ray activity of Galactic transient black hole candidate XTE J1908+094 during its 2019 outburst. Here, we report the results of detailed spectral and temporal analysis during this outburst using observations from Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). We have not observed any quasi-periodic-oscillations (QPOs) in the power density spectrum (PDS). The spectral study suggests that the source remained in the softer (more precisely, in the soft–intermediate) spectral state during this short period of X-ray activity. We notice a faint but broad Fe Kα emission line at around 6.5 keV. We also estimate the probable mass of the black hole to be 6.5−0.7+0.5M⊙, with 90% confidence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (2) ◽  
pp. 2214-2228
Author(s):  
S Malu ◽  
K Sriram ◽  
V K Agrawal

ABSTRACT We performed spectro-temporal analysis in the 0.8–50 keV energy band of the neutron star Z source GX 17+2 using AstroSat Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) and Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) data. The source was found to vary in the normal branch (NB) of the hardness–intensity diagram. Cross-correlation studies of LAXPC light curves in soft and hard X-ray band unveiled anticorrelated lags of the order of few hundred seconds. For the first time, cross-correlation studies were performed using SXT soft and LAXPC hard light curves and they exhibited correlated and anticorrelated lags of the order of a hundred seconds. Power density spectrum displayed normal branch oscillations (NBOs) of 6.7–7.8 Hz (quality factor 1.5–4.0). Spectral modelling resulted in inner disc radius of ∼12–16 km with Γ ∼ 2.31–2.44 indicating that disc is close to the innermost stable circular orbit and a similar value of disc radius was noticed based on the reflection model. Different methods were used to constrain the corona size in GX 17+2. Using the detected lags, corona size was found to be 27–46 km (β = 0.1, β = vcorona/vdisc) and 138–231 km (β = 0.5). Assuming the X-ray emission to be arising from the boundary layer (BL), its size was determined to be 57–71 km. Assuming that BL is ionizing the disc’s inner region, its size was constrained to ∼19–86 km. Using NBO frequency, the transition shell radius was found to be around 32 km. Observed lags and no movement of the inner disc front strongly indicate that the varying corona structure is causing the X-ray variation in the NB of Z source GX 17+2.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (24) ◽  
pp. 3377-3394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adem Alia ◽  
Gilbert Fantozzi ◽  
Nathalie Godin ◽  
Hocine Osmani ◽  
Pascal Reynaud

The present work deals with the mechanical characterization of a woven jute fabrics reinforced polyester resin composite. Two stacking sequences were considered: [0]8 and [+45/−45]2S. In-situ acoustic emission technique, X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) and post-mortem microscopic observations were used to characterise the damage mechanisms and to follow their evolutions during uniaxial tension. The microstructural analysis and X-ray CT revealed the following damage modes for the two lay-ups: fibre-matrix debondings which constitute the dominant mechanism, matrix crackings and fibre breakages and pull-outs. The acoustic emission data were processed using an unsupervised pattern recognition technique which combines principal components analysis and k-means optimized by a genetic algorithm. Both temporal and frequential features of acoustic emission signals were considered. The Laplacian score and dendrogram were used to determine the relevant and uncorrelated descriptors for clustering. Three clusters of events were obtained and the waveforms of each one were examined. Furthermore, the frequency contents of signals of each cluster were accurately investigated using power density spectrum and smoothed pseudo Wigner-Ville time-frequency distribution and the discrepancies between clusters are highlighted. Cluster 1 (Cl 1) characterized by signals of low frequency and intermediate amplitude, cluster 2 (Cl 2) characterized by signals of higher frequency and an amplitude similar to that of Cl 1 and cluster 3 (Cl 3) characterized by signals of higher amplitude. A correlation between the clusters and the damage mechanisms was established by means of interrupted tensile tests: Cl 1 is assigned to the matrix cracking, Cl 2 to the fibre-matrix debonding and Cl 3 to the fibre breakage and pull-out. The kinetic of evolution of each damage mode was monitored for the two stacking sequences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (3) ◽  
pp. 3726-3733
Author(s):  
V K Agrawal ◽  
Anuj Nandi

ABSTRACT In this paper, we report the first results of the extragalactic Z-source Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) X-2 obtained using the ∼140 ks observations with Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) and Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) onboard AstroSat. The Hardness-Intensity Diagram created with the LAXPC data revealed a complete Z-pattern of the source, showing all the three branches. We studied the evolution of the broad-band X-ray spectra in the energy range of 0.5–20.0 keV along the Z-track, a first such study of this source. The X-ray spectra of the different parts of the Z-pattern were well described by an absorbed Comptonized component. An absence of the accretion disc component suggests that the disc is most probably obscured by a Comptonized region. The best fit electron temperature (kTe) was found to be in the range of 1.7–2.1 keV and optical depth (τ) was found to be in the range of 13.2–17.5. The optical depth (τ) increased as the source moved from the normal/flaring branch (NB/FB) vertex to the upper part of the FB, suggesting a possible outflow triggered by a strong radiation pressure. The power density spectra (PDS) of HB and NB could be fitted with a pure power law of index α∼1.68 and 0.83, respectively. We also found a weak evidence of quasi-periodic oscillation (2.8σ) in the FB. The intrinsic luminosity of the source varied between (1.03–1.79) × 1038 erg s−1. We discuss our results by comparing with other Z-sources and the previous observations of LMC X-2.


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