Origin of the X-ray off-states in Vela X-1

TL;DR

This study uses hydrodynamic simulations to explain Vela X-1's X-ray off-states and variability, showing that instabilities in the stellar wind flow can account for observed phenomena without invoking more complex mechanisms.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates that hydrodynamic instabilities alone can reproduce Vela X-1's X-ray variability, challenging the necessity of clumpy winds or magnetic gating explanations.

Findings

Simulated off-states last 5-120 minutes, matching observations.

Oscillations in accretion rate occur with a period of about 6800 seconds.

Flares up to 10^{37} erg/s are produced in simulations.

Abstract

$Context$: Vela X-1 is the prototype of the classical sgHMXB systems. Recent continuous and long monitoring campaigns revealed a large hard X-rays variability amplitude with strong flares and off-states. This activity has been interpreted invoking clumpy stellar winds and/or magnetic gating mechanisms. $Aims$: We are probing if the observed behaviour could be explained by unstable hydrodynamic flows close to the neutron star rather than the more exotic phenomena. $Methods$: We have used the hydrodynamic code VH-1 to simulate the flow of the stellar wind with high temporal resolution and to compare the predicted accretion rate with the observed light-curves. $Results$: The simulation results are similar to the observed variability. Off-states are predicted with a duration of 5 to 120 minutes corresponding to transient low density bubbles forming around the neutron star. Oscillations of the accretion rate with a typical period of $\sim$ 6800 sec are generated in our simulations and observed. They correspond to the complex motion of a bow shock, moving either towards or away from the neutron star. Flares are also produced by the simulations up to a level of $10^{37}$ erg/s. $Conclusions$: We have qualitatively reproduced the hard X-ray variations observed in Vela X-1 with hydrodynamic instabilities predicted by a simple model. More sophisticated phenomena, such as clumpy winds or the magnetic gating mechanism, are not excluded but not required to explain the basic phenomenology.