The peculiar Galactic center neutron star X-ray binary XMM J174457-2850.3

Abstract

The recent discovery of a milli-second radio pulsar experiencing an accretion outburst similar to those seen in low mass X-ray binaries, has opened up a new opportunity to investigate the evolutionary link between these two different neutron star manifestations. The remarkable X-ray variability and hard X-ray spectrum of this object can potentially serve as a template to search for other X-ray binary/radio pulsar transitional objects. Here we demonstrate that the transient X-ray source XMM J174457-2850.3 near the Galactic center displays similar X-ray properties. We report on the detection of an energetic thermonuclear burst with an estimated duration of ~2 hr and a radiated energy output of ~5E40 erg, which unambiguously demonstrates that the source harbors an accreting neutron star. It has a quiescent X-ray luminosity of Lx~5E32 erg/s and exhibits occasional accretion outbursts during which it brightens to Lx~1E35-1E36 erg/s for a few weeks (2-10 keV). However, the source often lingers in between outburst and quiescence at Lx~1E33-1E34 erg/s. This unusual X-ray flux behavior and its relatively hard X-ray spectrum, a power law with an index of ~1.4, could possibly be explained in terms of the interaction between the accretion flow and the magnetic field of the neutron star.

10 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted to ApJ after minor revision (provided a more detailed description of the long-term X-ray behavior in Section 3.1 and Figure 1)

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• The Galactic LMXB Population and the Galactic Centre Region
• A New Candidate Transitional Millisecond Pulsar in the Sub-luminous Disk State: 4FGL J0407.7--5702
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• Investigating Variability of Quiescent Neutron Stars in the Globular Clusters NGC 6440 and Terzan 5
• Outbursts in ultracompact X-ray binaries
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• Quasi-Simultaneous Radio/X-ray Observations of the Candidate Transitional Millisecond Pulsar 3FGL J1544.6-1125 During its Low-Luminosity Accretion-Disc State
• Multi-band observations of Swift J0840.7-3516: a new transient ultra-compact X-ray binary candidate
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