Red-skewed K$\alpha$ iron lines in GX 13+1

Abstract

Broad, asymmetric, and red-skewed Fe Kalpha emission lines have been observed in the spectra of low-mass X-ray binaries hosting neutron stars (NSs) as a compact object. Because more than one model is able to describe these features, the explanation of where and how the red-skewed Fe lines are produced is still a matter of discussion. It is broadly accepted that the shape of the Fe Kalpha line is strongly determined by the special and general relativistic effects occurring in the innermost part of the accretion disk. In this relativistic framework, the Fe fluorescent lines are produced in the innermost part of the accretion disk by reflection of hard X-ray photons coming from the central source (corona and/or NS surface). We developed an alternative and nonrelativistic model, called the windline model, that is capable to describe the Fe line features. In this nonrelativistic framework, the line photons are produced at the bottom of a partly ionized outflow (wind) shell as a result of illumination by the continuum photons coming from the central source, and the red-skewness of the line profile is explained by repeated electron scattering of the photons in a diverging outflow. Because GX~13+1 is a well-known disk-wind source, it is a perfect target for testing the windline model and comparing it to the relativistic one. In order to access the goodness of the fit and distinguish between the two line models, we used the run-test statistical method in addition to the canonical ${\chi }^2$ statistical method. The diskline and windline models both fit the asymmetric GX13+1 Fe line well. From a statistical point of view, for the two observations we analyzed, the run-test was not able to distinguish between the two Fe line models, at 5% significance level.

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in A&A. 13 pages, 5 figures

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Relativistic X-Ray Reflection and Photoionised Absorption in the Neutron-Star Low-Mass X-ray Binary GX 13+1
• Discovery of a strong rotation of the X-ray polarization angle in the galactic burster GX 13+1
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