NuSTAR detection of a cyclotron line in the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J17544-2619

Varun Bhalerao; Patrizia Romano; John Tomsick; Lorenzo Natalucci; David M. Smith; Eric Bellm; Steven E. Boggs; Deepto Chakrabarty; Finn Erland Christensen; William W. Craig; Felix Fuerst

doi:10.1093/mnras/stu2495

NuSTAR detection of a cyclotron line in the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J17544-2619

Varun Bhalerao, Patrizia Romano, John Tomsick, Lorenzo Natalucci, David M. Smith, Eric Bellm, Steven E. Boggs, Deepto Chakrabarty, Finn Erland Christensen, William W. Craig, Felix Fuerst

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Abstract

We present NuSTAR spectral and timing studies of the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J17544-2619. The spectrum is well described by an ∼ 1 keV blackbody and a hard continuum component, as expected from an accreting X-ray pulsar. We detect a cyclotron line at 17 keV, confirming that the compact object in IGR J17544-2619 is indeed a neutron star. This is the first measurement of the magnetic field in an SFXT. The inferred magnetic field strength, B = (1.45 +/- 0.03) x 10¹² G (1 + z) is typical of neutron stars in X-ray binaries, and rules out a magnetar nature for the compact object. We do not find any significant pulsations in the source on time-scales of 1-2000 s.

Original language	English
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	447
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	2274-2281
ISSN	0035-8711
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu2495
Publication status	Published - 2015

Keywords

X-rays: binaries
X-rays: individual: IGR J17544-2619

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title = "NuSTAR detection of a cyclotron line in the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J17544-2619",

abstract = "We present NuSTAR spectral and timing studies of the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J17544-2619. The spectrum is well described by an ∼ 1 keV blackbody and a hard continuum component, as expected from an accreting X-ray pulsar. We detect a cyclotron line at 17 keV, confirming that the compact object in IGR J17544-2619 is indeed a neutron star. This is the first measurement of the magnetic field in an SFXT. The inferred magnetic field strength, B = (1.45 +/- 0.03) x 1012 G (1 + z) is typical of neutron stars in X-ray binaries, and rules out a magnetar nature for the compact object. We do not find any significant pulsations in the source on time-scales of 1-2000 s.",

keywords = "X-rays: binaries, X-rays: individual: IGR J17544-2619",

author = "Varun Bhalerao and Patrizia Romano and John Tomsick and Lorenzo Natalucci and Smith, {David M.} and Eric Bellm and Boggs, {Steven E.} and Deepto Chakrabarty and Christensen, {Finn Erland} and Craig, {William W.} and Felix Fuerst",

year = "2015",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stu2495",

language = "English",

volume = "447",

pages = "2274--2281",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - NuSTAR detection of a cyclotron line in the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J17544-2619

AU - Bhalerao, Varun

AU - Romano, Patrizia

AU - Tomsick, John

AU - Natalucci, Lorenzo

AU - Smith, David M.

AU - Bellm, Eric

AU - Boggs, Steven E.

AU - Chakrabarty, Deepto

AU - Christensen, Finn Erland

AU - Craig, William W.

AU - Fuerst, Felix

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - We present NuSTAR spectral and timing studies of the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J17544-2619. The spectrum is well described by an ∼ 1 keV blackbody and a hard continuum component, as expected from an accreting X-ray pulsar. We detect a cyclotron line at 17 keV, confirming that the compact object in IGR J17544-2619 is indeed a neutron star. This is the first measurement of the magnetic field in an SFXT. The inferred magnetic field strength, B = (1.45 +/- 0.03) x 1012 G (1 + z) is typical of neutron stars in X-ray binaries, and rules out a magnetar nature for the compact object. We do not find any significant pulsations in the source on time-scales of 1-2000 s.

AB - We present NuSTAR spectral and timing studies of the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J17544-2619. The spectrum is well described by an ∼ 1 keV blackbody and a hard continuum component, as expected from an accreting X-ray pulsar. We detect a cyclotron line at 17 keV, confirming that the compact object in IGR J17544-2619 is indeed a neutron star. This is the first measurement of the magnetic field in an SFXT. The inferred magnetic field strength, B = (1.45 +/- 0.03) x 1012 G (1 + z) is typical of neutron stars in X-ray binaries, and rules out a magnetar nature for the compact object. We do not find any significant pulsations in the source on time-scales of 1-2000 s.

KW - X-rays: binaries

KW - X-rays: individual: IGR J17544-2619

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stu2495

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stu2495

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 447

SP - 2274

EP - 2281

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 3

ER -

NuSTAR detection of a cyclotron line in the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J17544-2619

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Keywords

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