Broadband Spectral and Timing Properties of MAXI J1348-630 using AstroSat and NICER Observations

TL;DR

This study analyzes the broadband spectral and timing properties of MAXI J1348-630 using AstroSat and NICER data, revealing state-dependent variability, quasi-periodic oscillations, and energy-dependent time lags, with implications for accretion models.

Contribution

First simultaneous broadband spectral-timing analysis of MAXI J1348-630 with AstroSat and NICER, including energy-dependent fractional rms and time lag measurements.

Findings

Source transitions between soft and hard states observed.

Detection of type-C and type-A quasi-periodic oscillations.

Energy-dependent time lags show hard lag in bright state and soft lag in faint state.

Abstract

We present broadband X-ray spectral-timing analysis of the new Galactic X-ray transient MAXI~J1348--630 using five simultaneous {\it AstroSat} and {\it NICER} observations. Spectral analysis using {\it AstroSat} data identify the source to be in the soft state for the first three observations and in a faint and bright hard state for the next two. Quasi-periodic oscillations at $\sim 0.9$ and $\sim 6.9$\,Hz, belonging to the type-C and type-A class are detected. In the soft state, the power density spectra are substantially lower (by a factor $> 5$) for the {\it NICER} (0.5--12 keV) band compared to the {\it AstroSat}/LAXPC (3--80 keV) one, confirming that the disk is significantly less variable than the Comptonization component. For the first time, energy-dependent fractional rms and time lag in the 0.5--80 keV energy band was measured at different Fourier frequencies, using the bright hard state observation. Hard time lag is detected for the bright hard state, while the faint one shows evidence for soft lag. A single-zone propagation model fits the LAXPC results in the energy band 3--80 keV with parameters similar to those obtained for Cygnus X--1 and MAXI J1820+070. Extending the model to lower energies, reveals qualitative similarities but having quantitative differences with the {\it NICER} results. These discrepancies could be because the {\it NICER} and {\it AstroSat} data are not strictly simultaneous and because the simple propagation model does not take into account disk emission. The results highlight the need for more joint coordinated observations of such systems by {\it NICER} and {\it AstroSat}.