The accretion disk corona and disk atmosphere of 4U 1624-490 as viewed by the Chandra-HETGS

TL;DR

This study provides a detailed spectral analysis of 4U 1624-490, revealing a two-temperature plasma in the accretion disk corona and atmosphere, with variability linked to orbital phase and local obscuration effects.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive photoionization and variability analysis of 4U 1624-490, identifying distinct plasma components and their spatial distribution around the binary system.

Findings

Identification of a hot, extended accretion disk corona with high ionization

Detection of a less ionized, variable plasma component near the disk rim

Observation of quasi-sinusoidal modulation possibly due to obscuration changes

Abstract

We present a detailed spectral study (photoionization modelling and variability) of the "Big Dipper" 4U 1624-490 based on a \chandra-High Energy Transmission Gratings Spectrometer (HETGS) observation over the $\sim76$ ks binary orbit of 4U 1624-490. While the continuum spectrum can be modeled using a blackbody plus power-law, a slightly better fit is obtained using a single $\Gamma=2.25$ power-law partially (71%) covered by a local absorber of column density $N_{\rm H, Local}=8.1_{-0.6}^{+0.7}\times 10^{22} \rm cm^{-2}$. The data show a possible quasi-sinusoidal modulation with period $43_{-9}^{+13}$ ks that might be due to changes in local obscuration. Photoionization modeling with the {\sc xstar} code and variability studies of the observed strong \ion{Fe}{25} and \ion{Fe}{26} absorption lines point to a two-temperature plasma for their origin: a highly ionized component of ionization parameter $\xi_{\rm hot} \approx 10^{4.3} {\rm ergs cm s^{-1}}$ ($T\sim 3.0\times 10^{6}$ K) associated with an extended accretion disk corona of radius $R \sim3\times10^{10}$ cm, and a less ionized more variable component of $\xi \approx 10^{3.4} {\rm ergs cm s^{-1}}$ ($T\sim 1.0\times 10^{6}$ K) and $\rm \xi \approx 10^{3.1} ergs cm s^{-1}$ ($T\sim 0.9\times 10^{6}$ K) coincident with the accretion disk rim. We use this, with the observed \ion{Fe}{25} and \ion{Fe}{26} absorption line variations (in wavelength, strength, and width) to construct a viewing geometry that is mapped to changes in plasma conditions over the 4U 1624-490 orbital period.