A Redshifted Inner Disk Atmosphere and Transient Absorbers in the Ultra-Compact Neutron Star X-ray Binary 4U 1916-053

TL;DR

This study reveals a redshifted inner disk atmosphere and transient absorbers in the ultra-compact neutron star X-ray binary 4U 1916-053, providing insights into accretion disk physics and outflows.

Contribution

It presents the first evidence of a gravitationally redshifted inner disk atmosphere and transient disk wind in an ultra-compact X-ray binary, based on high-resolution Chandra observations.

Findings

Redshifted disk atmosphere at ~1200 GM/c^2

No velocity shift in dipping absorption lines

Possible evidence of a disk wind with blue shift

Abstract

The very small accretion disks in ultra-compact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are special laboratories in which to study disk accretion and outflows. We report on three sets of new (250 ks total) and archival (50 ks) Chandra/HETG observations of the "dipping" neutron-star X-ray binary 4U 1916$-$053, which has an orbital period of $P\simeq 50$~minutes. We find that the bulk of the absorption in all three spectra originates in a disk atmosphere that is redshifted by $v\simeq 220-290$ $\text{km}$ $\text{s}^{-1}$, corresponding to the gravitational redshift at radius of $R \sim 1200$ $GM/{c}^{2}$. This shift is present in the strongest, most highly ionized lines (Si XIV and Fe XXVI), with a significance of 5$\sigma$. Absorption lines observed during dipping events (typically associated with the outermost disk) instead display no velocity shifts and serve as a local standard of rest, suggesting that the redshift is intrinsic to an inner disk atmosphere and not due to radial motion in the galaxy or a kick. In two spectra, there is also evidence of a more strongly redshifted component that would correspond to a disk atmosphere at $R \sim 70$ $GM/{c}^{2}$; this component is significant at the 3$\sigma$ level. Finally, in one spectrum, we find evidence of disk wind with a blue shift of $v = {-1700}^{+1700}_{-1200}$ $\text{km}$ $\text{s}^{-1}$. If real, this wind would require magnetic driving.