X-ray time variability across the atoll source states of 4U 1636--53

Abstract

We have studied the rapid X-ray time variability in 149 pointed observations with the \textit{Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer} (RXTE)'s Proportional Counter Array of the atoll source 4U~1636--53 in the banana state and, for the first time with RXTE, in the island state. We compare the frequencies of the variability components of 4U~1636--53 with those in other atoll and Z-sources and find that 4U~1636--53 follows the universal scheme of correlations previously found for other atoll sources at (sometimes much) lower luminosities. Our results on the hectohertz QPO suggest that the mechanism that sets its frequency differs from that for the other components, while the amplitude setting mechanism is common. A previously proposed interpretation of the narrow low-frequency QPO frequencies in different sources in terms of harmonic mode switching is not supported by our data, nor by some previous data on other sources and the frequency range that this QPO covers is found not to be related to spin, angular momentum or luminosity.

16 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (3)

• RXTE observations of the first transient Z source XTE J1701-462: shedding new light on mass accretion in luminous neutron star LMXBs
• Millihertz Oscillation Frequency Drift Predicts the Occurrence of Type I X-ray Bursts
• Accretion-driven millisecond X-ray pulsars

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