Relativistic Iron Line Emission from the Neutron Star Low-Mass X-Ray Binary 4U 1636-536
Abstract
We present an analysis of XMM-Newton and RXTE data from three observations of the neutron star LMXB 4U 1636-536. The X-ray spectra show clear evidence of a broad, asymmetric iron emission line extending over the energy range 4-9 keV. The line profile is consistent with relativistically broadened Fe Kα emission from the inner accretion disk. The Fe Kα line in 4U 1636-536 is considerably broader than the asymmetric iron lines recently found in other neutron star LMXBs, which indicates a high disk inclination. We find evidence that the broad iron line feature is a combination of several Kα lines from iron in different ionization states.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1086/592429
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0808.2214
- Bibcode:
- 2008ApJ...688.1288P
- Keywords:
-
- accretion;
- accretion disks;
- binaries: close;
- stars: individual: 4U 1636-536;
- stars: neutron;
- X-rays: binaries;
- X-rays: stars;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 2 figures, Published in the Astrophysical Journal
