A NuSTAR observation of disk reflection from close to the neutron star in 4U 1608-52

TL;DR

This study uses NuSTAR X-ray observations of 4U 1608-52 during a faint outburst to analyze disk reflection features, constraining the neutron star's radius and accretion geometry.

Contribution

First detailed reflection spectrum analysis of 4U 1608-52 during a faint outburst, constraining the neutron star radius and accretion disk parameters.

Findings

Inner disk radius ~7-10 GM/c2

Neutron star radius <21 km

Inclination angle ~30-40 degrees

Abstract

Studying the reflection of X-rays off the inner edge of the accretion disk in a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary, allows us to investigate the accretion geometry and to constrain the radius of the neutron star. We report on a NuSTAR observation of 4U 1608-52 obtained during a faint outburst in 2014 when the neutron star, which has a known spin frequency of 620 Hz, was accreting at ~1-2% of the Eddington limit. The 3-79 keV continuum emission was dominated by a Gamma~2 power law, with a ~1-2% contribution from a kTbb~0.3-0.6 keV black body component. The high-quality NuSTAR spectrum reveals the hallmarks of disk reflection; a broad iron line peaking near 7~keV and a Compton back-scattering hump around ~20-30 keV. Modeling the disk reflection spectrum points to a binary inclination of i~30-40 degrees and a small `coronal' height of h<8.5 GM/c2. Furthermore, our spectral analysis suggests that the inner disk radius extended to Rin~7-10 GM/c2, close to the innermost stable circular obit. This constrains the neutron star radius to R<21 km and the redshift from the stellar surface to z>0.12, for a mass of M=1.5 Msun and a spin parameter of a=0.29.