Pulsating iron spectral features in the emission of X-ray pulsar V0332+53

TL;DR

This study analyzes phase- and time-resolved iron spectral features in the X-ray pulsar V0332+53 during its 2004 outburst, revealing pulsations and spectral behaviors that challenge existing emission models.

Contribution

First detection of pulsating iron K-edge in V0332+53, with detailed phase-resolved analysis revealing complex spectral features and challenging current accreting X-ray pulsar models.

Findings

Pulsating iron K-edge detected for the first time in V0332+53.

Iron line flux shows high pulsation amplitude (~10).

Iron spectral features cannot be explained by existing models.

Abstract

We present results of phase- and time-resolved study of iron spectral features in the emission of the Be/X-ray transient pulsar V0332+53, during its type II outburst in 2004 using archival RXTE/PCA data. Coherent pulsations of both fluorescent iron line at {\approx}6.4 keV and neutral iron K-edge at {\approx}7.1 keV have been detected throughout the entire outburst. The pulsating iron K-edge is reported for the first time for this object. Near the peak of the outburst, the 3-12 keV pulse profile shows two deep, F_max / F_min ~ 2, and narrow dips of nearly identical shape, separated by exactly {\Delta}{\phi}=0.5 in phase. The dip spectra are nearly identical to each other and very similar in shape to the spectra outside the dips. The iron K-edge peaks at the phase intervals corresponding to the dips, although its optical depth {\tau}_K ~ 0.05 is by far insufficient to explain the dips. The iron line shows pulsations with a complex pulse profile without any obvious correlation with the total flux or optical depth of the K-edge. Accounting for the component associated with reprocessing of the pulsar emission by the surface of the donor star and circumstellar material, we find a very high pulsation amplitude of the iron line flux, F_max / F_min ~ 10. We demonstrate that these properties of V0332+53 can not be explained by contemporary emission models for accreting X-ray pulsars and speculate about the origin of the observed iron spectral features.