Monitoring of pulse period in Her X-1 with Swift/BAT: evidence of mass ejection

TL;DR

This study uses Swift/BAT data to continuously monitor Her X-1's pulse period over four years, revealing evidence of mass ejection from the accretion disk linked to spin-down episodes and orbital period decrease.

Contribution

First long-term continuous pulse period monitoring of Her X-1, demonstrating the link between mass ejection and spin-down episodes in the pulsar.

Findings

Pulse period and derivative monitored over 4+ years.

Mass ejection inferred from pulse period behavior.

Mass ejection episodes linked to low X-ray luminosity.

Abstract

Monitoring of pulse period variations in accreting binary pulsars is an important tool to study the interaction between the magnetosphere of the neutron star and the accretion disk. While the X-ray flux of the brightest X-ray pulsars have been successfully monitored over many years (e.g. with RXTE/ASM, CGRO/BATSE, Swift/BAT), the possibility to monitor their pulse timing properties continuously has so far been very limited. In our work we use Swift/BAT observations to study one of the most enigmatic X-ray pulsars, Hercules X-1. For the first time, a quasi-continuous monitoring of the pulse period and the pulse period derivative of Her X-1, is achieved over a long time (> 4 yrs). We argue that together with the long-term decrease of the orbital period in Her X-1 the measured pulse period behaviour requires the presence of mass ejection from the inner parts of the accretion disk along the open magnetic field lines. The mass ejection episodes probably take place during strong spin-down episodes which are associated with the low X-ray luminosity.