Study of the reflection spectra of SAX J1748.9-2021

TL;DR

This paper presents a detailed spectral analysis of the millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1748.9-2021 using NuSTAR data, revealing reflection features, disc inclination, and magnetic field estimates during its 2015 outburst.

Contribution

First detailed modeling of SAX J1748.9-2021's reflection spectrum above 10 keV using NuSTAR data, providing insights into disc geometry and magnetic field.

Findings

Detected broad emission line at ~6.5 keV

Estimated disc inclination to be ~32 degrees

Magnetic field strength less than 3.4 x 10^9 G

Abstract

We report the spectral analysis of accretion powered millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1748.9-2021 from the NuSTAR observation made during its 2015 outburst. The spectra displayed a broad emission line at $\sim 6.5$ keV with line width of $\sim 0.5$ keV and excess above $\sim 20$ keV due to Compton hump. The persistent emission of SAX J1748.9-2021 is described by a combination of soft thermal component with $kT =0.62^{+0.03}_{-0.05}$ keV and thermally Comptonized component with $kT_e=2.50^{+0.06}_{-0.03}$ keV reflected from the disc with reflection fraction of $0.30^{+0.08}_{-0.04}$. We have modeled the reflection spectrum with self-consistent model relxillCP and have found the inclination of the accretion disc to be $32.3^{^\circ +4.8}_{-4.7}$ and log $\xi$ is equal to $3.05^{+0.40}_{-0.34}$. We have obtained an upper limit of 57 km for inner disc radius; and the estimated magnetic field strength at the poles is less than $3.4 \times 10^9$ G. This kind of detailed investigation of reflection spectrum of SAX J1748.9-2021, especially above 10 keV, has been achieved only because of high statistics NuSTAR data of the source.