Effects of thermonuclear X-ray bursts on non-burst emissions in the soft state of 4U 1728--34

TL;DR

This study analyzes how thermonuclear X-ray bursts affect the persistent emission in a neutron star system, finding that bursts enhance disk emission rather than being reprocessed by a corona, aiding accurate neutron star radius measurements.

Contribution

It demonstrates that burst emission primarily increases accretion disk emission, not reprocessed by a corona, clarifying the interaction between burst and persistent emissions in neutron star systems.

Findings

Burst emission enhances accretion disk emission.

Burst photons are not significantly reprocessed by a corona.

Non-burst and burst emissions can be reliably separated.

Abstract

It has recently been shown that the persistent emission of a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) evolves during a thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray burst. The reason of this evolution, however, is not securely known. This uncertainty can introduce significant systematics in the neutron star radius measurement using burst spectra, particularly if an unknown but significant fraction of the burst emission, which is reprocessed, contributes to the changes in the persistent emission during the burst. Here, by analyzing individual burst data of AstroSat/LAXPC from the neutron star LMXB 4U 1728--34 in the soft state, we show that the burst emission is not significantly reprocessed by a corona covering the neutron star. Rather, our analysis suggests that the burst emission enhances the accretion disk emission, possibly by increasing the accretion rate via disk. This enhanced disk emission, which is Comptonized by a corona covering the disk, can explain an increased persistent emission observed during the burst. This finding provides an understanding of persistent emission components, and their interaction with the thermonuclear burst emission. Furthermore, since burst photons are not significantly reprocessed, non-burst and burst emissions can be reliably separated, which is required to reduce systematic uncertainties in the stellar radius measurement.