Identifying IGR J14091-6108 as a magnetic CV with a massive white dwarf using X-ray and optical observations

TL;DR

This study identifies IGR J14091-6108 as a magnetic cataclysmic variable of the Intermediate Polar type, featuring a high-mass white dwarf near the Chandrasekhar limit, based on detailed X-ray and optical observations.

Contribution

First optical spectrum and detailed X-ray timing analysis establish IGR J14091-6108 as a high-mass white dwarf intermediate polar CV.

Findings

Detected a 576.3 s white dwarf spin period.

X-ray spectrum consistent with thermal Bremsstrahlung, partial covering absorption, and reflection.

Indications of a white dwarf mass approaching the Chandrasekhar limit.

Abstract

IGR J14091-6108 is a Galactic X-ray source known to have an iron emission line, a hard X-ray spectrum, and an optical counterpart. Here, we report on X-ray observations of the source with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR as well as optical spectroscopy with ESO/VLT and NOAO/SOAR. In the X-rays, this provides data with much better statistical quality than the previous observations, and this is the first report of the optical spectrum. Timing analysis of the XMM data shows a very significant detection of 576.3+/-0.6 s period. The signal has a pulsed fraction of 30%+/-3% in the 0.3-12 keV range and shows a strong drop with energy. The optical spectra show strong emission lines with significant variability in the lines and continuum, indicating that they come from an irradiated accretion disk. Based on these measurements, we identify the source as a magnetic Cataclysmic Variable of Intermediate Polar (IP) type where the white dwarf spin period is 576.3 s. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with the continuum emission mechanism being due to thermal Bremsstrahlung, but partial covering absorption and reflection are also required. In addition, we use the IP mass (IPM) model, which suggests that the white dwarf in this system has a high mass, possibly approaching the Chandrasekhar limit.