Superorbital variation in LMC X-4: tracing the precessing disk
Abstract
We present Suzaku and XMM observations of the high-mass X-ray pulsar LMC X-4 at different phases in its superorbital cycle, which is due to the precession of a warped accretion disk. The superorbital period and phase for each observation is determined accurately using RXTE ASM data. At all superorbital phases, the broadband X-ray spectra are described by a high-energy power-law continuum as well as a soft blackbody component, which most likely originates from reprocessing of the hard X-rays by the inner accretion disk. As with the similar systems SMC X-1 and Her X-1, LMC X-4 shows variations in the phases of the hard and soft pulse profiles, consistent with viewing the illuminated accretion disk at different orientations.
- Publication:
-
Chandra's First Decade of Discovery
- Pub Date:
- September 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009cfdd.confE.119H
- Keywords:
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- Accretion and Outflows