Probing the outer edge of an accretion disk: A Her X-1 turn-on observed with RXTE

Abstract

We present the analysis of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of the turn-on phase of a 35 day cycle of the X-ray binary Her X-1. During the early phases of the turn-on, the energy spectrum is composed of X-rays scattered into the line of sight plus heavily absorbed X-rays. The energy spectra in the 3-17 keV range can be described by a partial covering model, where one of the components is influenced by photoelectric absorption and Thomson scattering in cold material plus an iron emission line at 6.5 keV. In this paper we show the evolution of spectral parameters as well as the evolution of the pulse profile during the turn-on. We describe this evolution using Monte Carlo simulations which self-consistently describe the evolution of the X-ray pulse profile and of the energy spectrum.

arXiv comment16 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

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Cited by in corpus (15)

• INTEGRAL observations of Her X-1
• Variable neutron star free precession in Hercules X-1 from evolution of RXTE X-ray pulse profiles with phase of the 35-day cycle
• The Variable Warm Absorber in Circinus X-1
• The Photoionized Accretion Disk in Her X-1
• The cyclotron line energy in Her X-1: stable after the decay
• Suzaku observation of IGR J16318-4848
• NuSTAR detection of hard X-ray phase lags from the accreting pulsar GS 0834-430
• Spectral Signature of Atmospheric Reflection in Hercules X-1/HZ Hercules During Low and Short-High States
• A broad-band X-ray view of the precessing accretion disk and pre-eclipse dip in the pulsar Her X-1 with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
• Orbital variations in intensity and spectral properties of the highly obscured sgHMXB IGR J16318-4848
• Evidence for neutron star triaxial free precession in Her X-1 from Fermi/GBM pulse period measurements
• Observations of Her X-1 in low states during SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey
• The long stare at Hercules X-1 -- I. Emission lines from the outer disk, the magnetosphere boundary and the accretion curtain
• Modeling of 35-day superorbital cycle of $B$ and $V$ light curves of IMXB HZ Her/Her X-1
• Results from AstroSat LAXPC Observations of Hercules X-1 (Her X-1)