XMM-NewtonX-ray spectroscopy of the high-mass X-ray binary 4U 1700-37at low flux

Autor: van der Meer, A., Kaper, L., Di Salvo, T., Méndez, M., van der Klis, M., Barr, P., Trams, N. R., van der Meer, A., Kaper, L., Di Salvo, T., Méndez, M., van der Klis, M., Barr, P., Trams, N. R.
Zdroj: Astronomy and Astrophysics; March 2005, Vol. 432 Issue: 3 p999-1012, 14p
Abstrakt: We present results of a monitoring campaign of the high-mass X-ray binary system 4U 1700-37/HD 153919, carried out with XMM-Newtonin February 2001. The system was observed at four orbital phase intervals, covering 37% of one 3.41-day orbit. The lightcurve includes strong flares, commonly observed in this source. We focus on three epochs in which the data are not affected by photon pile up: the eclipse, the eclipse egress and a low-flux interval in the lightcurve around orbital phase $\phi \sim 0.25$. The high-energy part of the continuum is modelled as a direct plus a scattered component, each represented by a power law with identical photon index ($\alpha \sim 1.4$), but with different absorption columns. We show that during the low-flux interval the continuum is strongly reduced, probably due to a reduction of the accretion rate onto the compact object. A soft excess is detected in all spectra, consistent with either another continuum component originating in the outskirts of the system or a blend of emission lines. Many fluorescence emission lines from near-neutral species and discrete recombination lines from He- and H-like species are detected during eclipse and egress. The fluorescence Fe Kαline at 6.4 keV is very prominent; a second Kαline is detected at slightly higher energies (up to 6.7 keV) and a Kβline at 7.1 keV. In the low-flux interval the Fe Kαline at 6.4 keV is strongly (factor ∼30) reduced in strength. In eclipse, the Fe Kβ/Kαratio is consistent with a value of 0.13. In egress we initially measure a higher ratio, which can be explained by a shift in energy of the Fe K-edge to ~$ 7.15$keV, which is consistent with moderately ionised iron, rather than neutral iron, as expected for the stellar wind medium. The detection of recombination lines during eclipse indicates the presence of an extended ionised region surrounding the compact object. The observed increase in strength of some emission lines corresponding to higher values of the ionisation parameter ξfurther substantiates this conclusion.
Databáze: Supplemental Index