BeppoSAX observations of the X-ray pulsar MAXI J1409-619 in low state: discovery of cyclotron resonance features

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of cyclotron resonance features in the X-ray spectrum of the transient pulsar MAXI J1409-619, revealing its magnetic field strength and providing insights into its accretion environment.

Contribution

First detection of cyclotron resonance features in MAXI J1409-619, enabling direct measurement of the neutron star's magnetic field from archival BeppoSAX data.

Findings

Detected absorption features at 44, 73, and 128 keV in the spectrum.

Identified the fundamental cyclotron line at 44 keV.

Estimated the neutron star's magnetic field as approximately 3.8 x 10^{12} G.

Abstract

The transient 500 s X-ray pulsar MAXI J1409-619 was discovered by the slit cameras aboard MAXI on October 17, 2010, and soon after accurately localized by Swift. We found that the source position was serendipitously observed in 2000 during BeppoSAX observations of the Galactic plane. Two sources are clearly detected in the MECS: one is consistent with the position of IGR J14043-6148 and the other one with that of MAXI J1409-619. We report on the analysis of this archival BeppoSAX/MECS observation integrated with newly analyzed observation from ASCA and a set of high-energy observations obtained from the offset fields of the BeppoSAX/PDS instrument. For the ON-source observation, the 1.8-100 keV spectrum is fit by an absorbed power law with a photon index Gamma = 0.87_{-0.19}^{+0.29}, corresponding to 2-10 and 15-100 keV unabsorbed fluxes of 2.7E-12 and 4E-11 erg/cm2/s, respectively, and a 2-10 keV luminosity of 7E+34 erg/s for a 15 kpc distance. For a PDS offset field observation, performed about one year later and showing a 15-100 keV flux of 7E-11 erg/cm2/s, we clearly pinpoint three spectral absorption features at 44, 73, and 128 keV, resolved both in the spectral fit and in the Crab ratio. We interpret these not harmonically spaced features as due to cyclotron resonances. The fundamental energy of 44 +/- 3 keV corresponds to a magnetic field strength at the neutron star surface of 3.8E12 (1+z) G, where z is the gravitational redshift. We discuss the nature of the source in the light of its possible counterpart.