Burst-properties as a function of mass accretion rate in GX 3+1

Abstract

GX 3+1 is a low-mass X-ray binary that is persistently bright since its discovery in 1964. It was found to be an X-ray burster twenty years ago proving that the compact object in this system is a neutron star. The burst rate is so low that only 18 bursts were reported prior to 1996. The Wide Field Cameras on BeppoSAX have, through a dedicated monitoring program on the Galactic center region, increased the number of X-ray bursts from GX 3+1 by 61. Since GX 3+1 exhibits a slow (order of years) modulation in the persistent flux of about 50%, these observations opens up the unique possibility to study burst properties as a function of mass accretion rate for very low burst rates. This is the first time that bursts are detected from GX 3+1 in the high state. From the analysis we learn that all bursts are short with e-folding decay times smaller than 10 s. Therefore, all bursts are due to unstable helium burning. Furthermore, the burst rate drops sixfold in a fairly narrow range of 2-20 keV flux; we discuss possible origins for this.

arXiv comment9 pages and 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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• A superburst from 4U 1254-690
• BeppoSAX-WFC monitoring of the Galactic Center region
• An X-ray and optical study of the ultracompact X-ray binary A1246-58
• Magnesium and silicon in interstellar dust: an X-ray overview
• Study of the reflection spectrum of the accreting neutron star GX 3+1 using XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL
• GX~3+1: the stability of spectral index as a function of mass accretion rate
• Long tails on thermonuclear X-ray bursts from neutron stars: a signature of inward heating?
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• Two-phase X-ray burst from GX 3+1 observed by INTEGRAL
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• NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of the Arches cluster in 2015: fading hard X-ray emission from the molecular cloud
• Discovery of the near-infrared counterpart to the luminous neutron-star low-mass X-ray binary GX 3+1
• Sample of LMXBs in the Galactic bulge. I. Optical and near-infrared constraints from the Virtual Observatory
• Study of the reflection spectrum of the bright atoll source GX 3+1 with NuSTAR
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• AstroSat observation of rapid Type-I thermonuclear burst from the low mass X-ray binary GX 3+1
• First IBIS results on the high energy emission of Cyg X-2