Chandra/HETGS observations of SMC X-3 at a Luminosity of 10 L_Edd.
Abstract
The discovery that 3 ultra luminous X-ray sources are powered by accretion onto highly magnetized neutron stars has been a breakthrough in our understanding of super-Eddington accretion. These results suggest that neutron stars contribute to a large fraction of the observed ULX population. The sample of local high magnetic field neutron stars present an opportunity to study such high luminosity accretion flows. The Be/X-ray binary systems are excellent targets, with large magnetic fields (>1e12 G) and quasi-regular outbursts that reach values far in excess of the Eddington limit for a canonical neutron star (Lx ≥ 2e38 erg/s). We will present the results of a high spectral resolution Chandra/HETGS observation of the Small Magellanic Cloud Be/X-ray binary SMC X-3 during a giant/type-II outburst in 2016. The source was observed at a luminosity of Lx ∼ 2e39 erg/s or approximately 10 times the Eddington limit. The high quality grating data reveal numerous highly ionized emission lines. We will discuss the constraints these spectra place on our understanding of models for the super Eddington accretion flow onto a highly magnetized neutron star.
- Publication:
-
42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018cosp...42E2833R