Looking into the Theory of Pulsar Accretion: The Case of XTE J1946+274
Abstract
XTE J1946+274 is a transient accreting pulsar with a Be companion and a Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature (CRSF). It has been observed during several outbursts, with multiple instruments, and over a large range of luminosities. We extend previous studies to low flux using a Suzaku observation from the end of an outburst. This study focuses on the relationship between the cyclotron line energy and X-ray luminosity, which is believed to be linked to the physical processes occurring in the CRSF forming region. The physics of pulsar accretion, i.e., the process of plasma flow onto the neutron star surface, can be further constrained from its spectral properties. To this end, we discuss a new implementation of the physical continuum model developed by Becker and Wolff (2007, ApJ 654, 435). The model comprises Comptonized black body, bremsstrahlung, and cyclotron emission. We discuss preliminary results of applying the new tool to the test case of XTE J1946+274. We are working towards making this pulsar continuum model available in Xspec.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #14
- Pub Date:
- August 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014HEAD...1412204M