Discovery of Rapidly Moving Partial X-ray Absorbers within gamma Cassiopeiae

Abstract

Gamma Cassiopeiae is an enigmatic Be star with unusually strong hard X-ray emission. The Suzaku observatory detected six rapid X-ray spectral hardening events called "softness dips" in a ~100 ksec duration observation in 2011. All the softness dip events show symmetric softness ratio variations, and some of them have flat bottoms apparently due to saturation. The softness dip spectra are best described by either ~40% or ~70% partial covering absorption to kT ~12 keV plasma emission by matter with a neutral hydrogen column density of ~2-8e21 cm-2, while the spectrum outside of these dips is almost free of absorption. This result suggests the presence of two distinct X-ray emitting spots in the gamma Cas system, perhaps on a white dwarf companion with dipole mass accretion. The partial covering absorbers may be blobs in the Be stellar wind, the Be disk, or rotating around the white dwarf companion. Weak correlations of the softness ratios to the hard X-ray flux suggest the presence of stable plasmas at kT ~0.9 and 5 keV, which may originate from the Be or white dwarf winds. The formation of a Be star and white dwarf binary system requires mass transfer between two stars; gamma Cas may have experienced such activity in the past.

16 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal

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• Ultraviolet Activity as indicator of Small-scale Magnetic Fields in gamma Cassiopeiae
• Short-term variability and mass loss in Be stars VI. Frequency groups in $\gamma$ Cas detected by TESS
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• Fluorescent Fe K line emission of gamma Cas stars II. Predictions for magnetic interactions and white-dwarf accretion scenarios
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