On the magnetic field of the first Galactic ultraluminous X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124

TL;DR

This study monitored the first Galactic ultraluminous X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 during its outburst, estimating its magnetic field strength through luminosity observations and pulse profile analysis, despite observational limitations.

Contribution

It provides the first magnetic field estimates for this pulsar using both propeller transition limits and pulse profile evolution, highlighting the complex magnetic environment.

Findings

Magnetic field upper limit B<10^{13} G from propeller luminosity.

Evidence of emission region change at critical luminosity ~3×10^{38} erg/s.

Magnetic field estimate B>10^{13} G from pulse profile evolution.

Abstract

We report on the monitoring of the final stage of the outburst from the first Galactic ultraluminous X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124, which reached $\sim$40 Eddington luminosities at the peak of the outburst. The main aim of the monitoring program with the {\it Swift}/XRT telescope was to measure the magnetic field of the neutron star using the luminosity of transition to the "propeller" state. The visibility constraints, unfortunately, did not permit us to observe the source down to the fluxes low enough to detect such a transition. The tight upper limit on the propeller luminosity $L_{\rm prop}<6.8\times10^{35}$ erg s$^{-1}$ implies the dipole component of the magnetic field $B<10^{13}$ G, under plausible assumptions on the effective magnetosphere size. On the other hand, the observed evolution of the pulse profile and of the pulsed fraction with flux points to a change of the emission region geometry at the critical luminosity $L_{\rm crit}\sim3\times10^{38}$ erg s$^{-1}$ both in the rising and declining parts of the outburst. We associate the observed change with the onset of the accretion column, which allows us to get an independent estimate of the magnetic field strength close to the neutron stars surface of $B>10^{13}$ G. Given the existing uncertainty in the effective magnetosphere size, we conclude that both estimates are marginally compatible with each other.