Observations of a GX 301−2 Apastron Flare with the X-Calibur Hard X-Ray Polarimeter Supported by NICER, the Swift XRT and BAT, and Fermi GBM

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dc.contributor.authorAbarr, Q.
dc.contributor.authorBaring, M.
dc.contributor.authorBeheshtipour, B.
dc.contributor.authorBeilicke, M.
dc.contributor.authorde Geronimo, G.
dc.contributor.authorDowkontt, P.
dc.contributor.authorErrando, M.
dc.contributor.authorGuarino, V.
dc.contributor.authorIyer, N.
dc.contributor.authorKislat, F.
dc.contributor.authorKiss, M.
dc.contributor.authorKitaguchi, T.
dc.contributor.authorKrawczynski, H.
dc.contributor.authorLanzi, J.
dc.contributor.authorLi, S.
dc.contributor.authorLisalda, L.
dc.contributor.authorOkajima, T.
dc.contributor.authorPearce, M.
dc.contributor.authorPress, L.
dc.contributor.authorRauch, B.
dc.contributor.authorStuchlik, D.
dc.contributor.authorTakahashi, H.
dc.contributor.authorTang, J.
dc.contributor.authorUchida, N.
dc.contributor.authorWest, A.
dc.contributor.authorJenke, P.
dc.contributor.authorKrimm, H.
dc.contributor.authorLien, A.
dc.contributor.authorMalacaria, C.
dc.contributor.authorMiller, J.M.
dc.contributor.authorWilson-Hodge, C.
dc.date.accessioned2020-03-23T14:24:46Z
dc.date.available2020-03-23T14:24:46Z
dc.date.issued2020-01-13
dc.description.abstractThe accretion-powered X-ray pulsar GX301−2 was observed with the balloon-borne X-Calibur hard X-ray polarimeter during late December 2018, with contiguous observations by the NICER X-ray telescope, the Swift X-ray Telescope and Burst Alert Telescope, and the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor spanning several months. The observations detected the pulsar in a rare apastron flaring state coinciding with a significant spin-up of the pulsar discovered with the Fermi GBM. The XCalibur, NICER, and Swift observations reveal a pulse profile strongly dominated by one main peak, and the NICER and Swift data show strong variation of the profile from pulse to pulse. The X-Calibur observations constrain for the first time the linear polarization of the 15-35keV emission from a highly magnetized accreting neutron star, indicating a polarization degree of (27⁺³⁸₋₂₇ )% (90% confidence limit) averaged over all pulse phases. We discuss the spin-up and the X-ray spectral and polarimetric results in the context of theoretical predictions. We conclude with a discussion of the scientific potential of future observations of highly magnetized neutron stars with the more sensitive follow-up mission XL-Calibur.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipWe thank A. Awaki (Ehime Uniersity), K. Hayashida (Osaka University, Project Research Center for Fundamental Sciences, ISAS), Y. Maeda (ISAS), H. Matsumoto (Osaka University, Project Research Center for Fundamental Sciences), T. Tamagawa (RIKEN), and K. Tamura (Nagoya University) for fruitful discussions and for their comments on this paper. We thank V. Mikhalev for contributing the code for barycentring the X-Calibur event times and Rakhee Kushwah (KTH, Oskar Klein Centre) for contributing to the flight monitoring shifts. X-Calibur is funded by the NASA APRA program under contract number 80NSSC18K0264. We thank the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis for funding of an early polarimeter prototype, as well as for funds for the development of the ASIC readout. Henric Krawczynski acknowledges NASA support under grants 80NSSC18K0264 and NNX16AC42G. KTH authors acknowledge support from the Swedish National Space Agency (grant number 199/18). MP also acknowledges support from the Swedish Research Council (grant number 2016-04929). Hans Krimm acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation under the Independent Research and Development program.en_US
dc.description.urihttps://arxiv.org/pdf/2001.03581.pdfen_US
dc.format.extent20 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articles preprintsen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2ek3v-vbvx
dc.identifier.citationAbarr Q, Baring M, Beheshtipour B, Beilicke M, de Geronimo G, Dowkontt P, Errando M, Guarino V, Iyer N, Kislat F, Kiss M, Kitaguchi T, Krawczynski H, Lanzi J, Li S, Lisalda L, Okajima T, Pearce M, Press L, Rauch B, Stuchlik D, Takahashi H, Tang J, Uchida N, West A, Jenke P, Krimm H, Lien A, Malacaria C, Miller J.M, Wilson-Hodge C, Jan 13 2020, Observations of a GX 301−2 Apastron Flare with the X-Calibur Hard X-Ray Polarimeter Supported by NICER, the Swift XRT and BAT, and Fermi GBM,https://arxiv.org/pdf/2001.03581.pdfen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/17564
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Physics Department Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.rightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
dc.rightsPublic Domain Mark 1.0*
dc.rightsThis work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/*
dc.titleObservations of a GX 301−2 Apastron Flare with the X-Calibur Hard X-Ray Polarimeter Supported by NICER, the Swift XRT and BAT, and Fermi GBMen_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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