The X-ray Halo of Cen X-3

Abstract

Using two Chandra observations we have derived estimates of the dust distribution and distance to the eclipsing high mass X-ray binary (HMXB) Cen X-3 using the energy-resolved dust-scattered X-ray halo. By comparing the observed X-ray halos in 200 eV bands from 2-5 keV to the halo profiles predicted by the Weingartner & Draine interstellar grain model, we find that the vast majority (about 70%) of the dust along the line of sight to the system is located within about 300 pc of the Sun, although the halo measurements are insensitive to dust very close to the source. One of the Chandra observations occurred during an egress from eclipse as the pulsar emerged from behind the mass-donating primary. By comparing model halo light curves during this transition to the halo measurements, a source distance of 5.7 +/- 1.5 kpc (68% confidence level) is estimated, although we find this result depends on the distribution of dust on very small scales. Nevertheless, this value is marginally inconsistent with the commonly accepted distance to Cen X-3 of 8 kpc. We also find that the energy scaling of the scattering optical depth predicted by the Weingartner & Draine interstellar grain model does not accurately represent the results determined by X-ray halo studies of Cen X-3. Relative to the model, there appears to be less scattering at low energies or more scattering at high energies in Cen X-3.

11 pages, 14 figures, Accepted by ApJ, (replacement is the accepted version)

References in corpus (5)

• Modelling the Galactic Interstellar Extinction Distribution in Three Dimensions
• Pulse phase resolved analysis of the HMXB Cen X-3 over two binary orbits
• Using the X-ray Dust Scattering Halo of 4U 1624-490 to determine distance and dust distributions
• ASCA Observations of OAO 1657-415 and its Dust-Scattered X-Ray Halo
• Geometrical Distance Determination using Type I X-ray Bursts

Cited by in corpus (19)

• The Ups & Downs of Accreting X-Ray Pulsars: Decade-long observations with the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor
• Population of persistent high mass X-ray binaries in the Milky Way
• Using the X-ray Dust Scattering Halo of Cygnus X-1 to determine distance and dust distributions
• Determining the Distance of Cyg X-3 with its X-ray Dust Scattering Halo
• A new model for the X-ray continuum of the magnetized accreting pulsars
• X-ray Spectroscopy of the High Mass X-ray Binary Pulsar Centaurus X-3 over its Binary Orbit
• Dust scattering halo of 4U 1630-47 observed with Chandra and Swift: New constraints on the source distance
• X-ray reprocessing: Through the eclipse spectra of high mass X-ray binaries with XMM-Newton
• INTEGRAL, Swift, and RXTE observations of the 518 Hz accreting transient pulsar Swift J1749.4-2807
• Long-term X-ray Variability of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources
• Fitting strategies of accretion column models and application to the broadband spectrum of Cen X-3
• Detection of a quasi-periodic oscillation at $\sim$40 mHz in Cen X-3 with Insight-HXMT
• Catalog of the Galactic population of X-ray pulsars in High-mass X-ray binary systems
• X-ray Scattered Halo around IGR J17544-2619
• Comprehensive broadband study of accreting neutron stars with Suzaku: Is there a bi-modality in the X-ray spectrum?
• A Dependable Distance Estimator to Black Hole Low-Mass X-ray Binaries
• A New Measurement of the Spin and Orbital Parameters of the High Mass X-ray Binary Centaurus X-3 using AstroSat
• Timing and spectral studies of Cen X-3 in multiple luminosity states using $\text{AstroSat}$
• High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of Cen X-3 with XMM-Newton