NuSTAR observations and broadband spectral energy distribution modeling of the millisecond pulsar binary PSR J1023+0038

Abstract

We report the first hard X-ray (3-79 keV) observations of the millisecond pulsar (MSP) binary PSR J1023+0038 using NuSTAR. This system has been shown transiting between a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) state and a rotation-powered MSP state. The NuSTAR observations were taken in both LMXB state and rotation-powered state. The source is clearly seen in both states up to ~79 keV. During the LMXB state, the 3-79 keV flux is about a factor of 10 higher that in the rotation-powered state. The hard X-rays show clear orbital modulation during the X-ray faint rotation-powered state but the X-ray orbital period is not detected in the X-ray bright LMXB state. In addition, the X-ray spectrum changes from a flat power-law spectrum during the rotation-powered state to a steeper power-law spectrum in the LMXB state. We suggest that the hard X-rays are due to the intra-binary shock from the interaction between the pulsar wind and the injected material from the low-mass companion star. During the rotation-powered MSP state, the X-ray orbital modulation is due to Doppler boosting of the shocked pulsar wind. At the LMXB state, the evaporating matter of the accretion disk due to the gamma-ray irradiation from the pulsar stops almost all the pulsar wind, resulting the disappearance of the X-ray orbital modulation.

arXiv comment8 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (25)

• The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Mission
• A Radio Pulsar/X-ray Binary Link
• Swings between rotation and accretion power in a millisecond binary pulsar
• A state change in the low-mass X-ray binary XSS J12270-4859
• The Neutron Stars of Soft X-Ray Transients
• Launching of Conical Winds and Axial Jets from the Disk-Magnetosphere Boundary: Axisymmetric and 3D Simulations
• A state change in the missing link binary pulsar system PSR J1023+0038
• A New Accretion Disk Around the Missing Link Binary System PSR J1023+0038
• A Chandra X-ray Observation of the Binary Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• X-ray follow-ups of XSSJ12270-4859: a low-mass X-ray binary with gamma ray FERMI-LAT association
• X-ray Variability and Evidence for Pulsations from the Unique Radio Pulsar/X-ray Binary Transition Object FIRST J102347.6+003841
• Is FIRST J102347.6+003841 Really a Cataclysmic Binary?
• Multi-wavelength emissions from the millisecond pulsar binary PSR J1023+0038 during an accretion active state
• The neutron star transient and millisecond pulsar in M28: from sub-luminous accretion to rotation-powered quiescence
• The NuSTAR Extragalactic Survey: A First Sensitive Look at the High-Energy Cosmic X-ray Background Population
• FIRST J102347.6+003841: The First Radio-Selected Cataclysmic Variable
• Modelling the light curves of PSR B1259-63/LS 2883-II.The effects of anisotropic pulsar wind and Doppler-boosting
• NuSTAR Observations of the State Transition of Millisecond Pulsar Binary PSR J1023+0038
• SDSS J102347.6+003841: A Millisecond Radio Pulsar Binary That Had A Hot Disk During 2000-2001
• "Hiccup" accretion in the swinging pulsar IGR J18245-2452
• Evidence for gamma-ray emission from the low-mass X-ray binary system FIRST J102347.6+003841
• X-ray and Gamma-ray Emissions from Different Evolutionary Stage of Rotation Powered Millisecond Pulsars
• XMM-Newton and optical follow-up observations of SDSS J093249.57+472523.0 and SDSS J102347.67+003841.2
• Exploring the X-ray and gamma-ray properties of the redback millisecond pulsar PSR J1723-2837
• On the Transition from Accretion Powered to Rotation Powered Millisecond Pulsars

Cited by in corpus (31)

• X-ray coherent pulsations during a sub-luminous accretion disk state of the transitional millisecond pulsar XSS J12270-4859
• Transitional millisecond pulsars
• Constraining Relativistic Bow Shock Properties in Rotation-Powered Millisecond Pulsar Binaries
• Pulsating in unison at optical and X-ray energies: simultaneous high-time resolution observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• Gamma-ray pulsars: a gold mine
• X-ray Census of Millisecond Pulsars in the Galactic field
• Multi-wavelength observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar binary XSSJ12270-4859
• A new gamma-ray loud, eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary
• A physical scenario for the high and low X-ray luminosity states in the transitional pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• Pulsar wind-heated accretion disk and the origin of modes in transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• Discovery of a Redback Millisecond Pulsar Candidate: 3FGL J0212.1+5320
• Multi-band study of RX J0838-2827 and XMM J083850.4-282759: a new asynchronous magnetic cataclysmic variable and a candidate transitional millisecond pulsar
• Multi-wavelength observations of a new redback millisecond pulsar candidate: 3FGL J0954.8-3948
• Precise optical timing of PSR J1023+0038, the first millisecond pulsar detected with Aqueye+ in Asiago
• Exploring the intrabinary shock from the redback millisecond pulsar PSR J2129-0429
• Face changing companion of the redback millisecond pulsar PSR J1048+2339
• SAX J1808.4-3658, an accreting millisecond pulsar shining in gamma rays?
• Simultaneous broadband observations and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• The Flare-Dominated Accretion Mode of a Radio-Bright Candidate Transitional Millisecond Pulsar
• Searches for millisecond pulsar candidates among the unidentified Fermi objects
• Accretion And Propeller Torque In The Spin-down Phase Of Neutron Stars: The Case Of Transitional Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• Multi-Wavelength Observations Of A New Redback Millisecond Pulsar 4FGL J1910.7-5320
• A NuSTAR Observation of the Gamma-ray Emitting Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1723-2837
• Hard X-ray/Soft gamma-ray experiments and missions: overview and prospects
• Mid-UV Studies of the Transitional Millisecond Pulsars XSS J12270-4859 and PSR J1023+0038 During Their Radio Pulsar States
• Revealing a New Black Widow Binary 4FGL J0336.0+7502
• A Search for Very High-Energy Gamma Rays from the Missing Link Binary Pulsar J1023+0038 with VERITAS
• Broadband High-Energy Emissions of the Redback Millisecond Pulsar PSR J2129-0429
• On the vanishing orbital X-ray variability of the eclipsing binary millisecond pulsar 47 Tuc W
• There and back again: Mysterious optical pulse profile behavior of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038
• Searching for $\gamma$-ray Counterparts to Very Faint X-Ray Transient Neutron Star binaries