Suzaku Studies of Luminosity-Dependent Changes in the Low-Mass X-ray Binary Aquila X-1

TL;DR

This study used Suzaku observations to analyze how the accretion geometry of the neutron-star Low-Mass X-ray Binary Aquila X-1 changes with luminosity, revealing a shrinking emission region and potential magnetosphere emergence.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed luminosity-dependent spectral analysis of Aquila X-1, demonstrating changes in emission region size and suggesting magnetosphere development at low luminosities.

Findings

Emission region radius decreases with luminosity.

Spectral models indicate a transition from high to low optical depth.

Evidence suggests emergence of a weak neutron star magnetosphere.

Abstract

The neutron-star Low-Mass X-ray Binary Aquila X-1 was observed by Suzaku for seven times, from 2007 September 28 to October 30. The observations successfully traced an outburst decay in which the source luminosity decreased almost monotonically from $\sim 10^{37}$ erg s$^{-1}$ to $\sim 10^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$, by $\sim 3$ orders of magnitude. To investigate luminosity-dependent changes in the accretion geometry, five of the seven data sets with a typical exposure of $\sim 18$ ks each were analyzed; the other two were utilized in a previous work \citep{Sakurai2012}. The source was detected up to 100 keV in the 2nd to the 4th observations, to 40 keV in the 5th, and to 10 keV on the last two occasions. All spectra were reproduced successfully by Comptonized blackbody model with relatively high ($\gtrsim 2.0$) optical depths, plus an additional softer optically-thick component. The faintest three spectra were reproduced alternatively by a single Comptonized blackbody model with a relatively low ($\lesssim 0.8$) optical depth. The estimated radius of the blackbody emission, including seed photons for the Comptonization, was $10 \pm 2$ km at a 0.8--100 keV luminosity of $2.4\times 10^{36}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (the 2nd to the 4th observations). In contrast, it decreased to $7 \pm 1$ km and further to $3 \pm 1$ km, at a luminosity of $(4.8-5.2)\times 10^{35}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (the 5th observation) and $\sim 2\times 10^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (the 6th and 7th), respectively, regardless of the above model ambiguity. This can be taken as evidence for the emergence of a weak magnetosphere of the neutron star.