Constraining the Coronal Heights and Readjustment Velocities Based on the Detection of a Few Hundred Seconds Delays in the Z Source GX 17+2

Abstract

Neutron star Z type sources provide a unique platform in order to understand the structure of accretion disk-corona geometry emitting close to the Eddington luminosity. Using RXTE and NuSTAR satellite data, we performed cross correlation function (CCF) studies in GX 17+2 in order to constrain the size of corona responsible for hard X-rays. From the RXTE data, we found that during horizontal and normal branches, the CCFs show anti-correlated hard (16 - 30 keV) and soft (2 - 5 keV) X-ray delays of the order of a few tens to hundred seconds with a mean correlation coefficient of 0.42$\pm$0.11. Few observations shows correlated lags and on one occasion coincident with radio emission. We also report an anti-correlated hard X-ray delay of 113$\pm$51 s using the NuSTAR data of GX 17+2. Based on RXTE data, it was found that soft and hard X-ray fluxes are varying indicating the changes in the disk-corona structure during delays. We bridle the size of corona using relativistic precession, transition layer and boundary layer models. Assuming the delays to be readjustment time scale of disk-corona structure, height of the corona was estimated to be $\sim$ 17--100 km. Assuming that inner region of the truncated disk is occupied by the corona, we constrain the coronal readjustment velocities (v${}_{corona}$=$\beta$ v${}_{disk}$, where v${}_{disk}$ is the radial velocity component of the disk) of the order of $\beta$=0.06-0.12. This study indicates that the observed delays are primarily dependent on the varying coronal readjustment velocities.

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Cited by in corpus (2)

• Anti-Correlated lags in a Neutron star Z source GX 5-1: AstroSat's View
• Investigating the coronal structure by studying time lags in the Atoll source 4U 1705-44 using AstroSat