On the nature of `off' states in slowly rotating low-luminosity X-ray pulsars

TL;DR

This paper proposes a model explaining the 'off'-states in low-luminosity X-ray pulsars as transitions between two accretion regimes driven by plasma cooling processes, influenced by changes in X-ray beam patterns.

Contribution

It introduces a dual-regime subsonic accretion model and links state transitions to plasma cooling dominance and beam pattern changes, explaining observed pulsar behavior.

Findings

Transition from Compton to radiative cooling correlates with off-states.

Switch in X-ray beam pattern may trigger accretion regime change.

Model explains observed luminosity variations in specific pulsars.

Abstract

We elaborate on a recently proposed model for subsonic quasi-spherical accretion onto slowly rotating pulsars, in which accretion is mediated through a hot quasi-static shell above the neutron star magnetosphere. We show that under the same external conditions, two regimes of subsonic accretion are possible, depending on if plasma cooling in the transition zone is dominated by Compton or radiative processes. We suggest that a transition from the higher luminosity Compton cooling regime to the lower luminosity radiative cooling regime can be responsible for the onset of the `off'-states repeatedly observed in several low luminosity slowly accreting pulsars, such as Vela X-1, GX 301-2 and 4U 1907+09. We further suggest that the triggering of the transition may be due to a switch in the X-ray beam pattern in response to a change in the optical depth in the accretion column with changing luminosity.