Spectral evolution of RX J0440.9+4431 during the 2022-2023 giant outburst observed with Insight-HXMT

TL;DR

This study analyzes the spectral evolution of the X-ray pulsar RX J0440.9+4431 during its 2022-2023 giant outburst using Insight-HXMT data, revealing how spectral features relate to physical changes in the accretion process.

Contribution

It introduces a physics-based theoretical model to interpret spectral variations, providing insights into the accretion physics during the outburst.

Findings

Spectral flattening correlates with increased luminosity and decreased electron temperature.

The spectrum is dominated by Comptonized bremsstrahlung emission from the accretion column.

Maximum luminosity corresponds to a quasi-critical accretion column state.

Abstract

In 2022-2023, the X-ray pulsar RX J0440.9+4431 underwent a Type II giant outburst, reaching a peak luminosity L_x ~ 4*10^{37} erg/s. In this work, we utilize Insight-HXMT data to analyze the spectral evolution of RX J0440.9+4431 during the giant outburst. By analysing the variation of the X-ray spectrum during the outburst using standard phenomenological models, we find that as the luminosity approaches the critical luminosity, the spectrum became flatter, with the photon enhancement predominantly concentrated around ~ 2 keV and 20-40 keV. The same behavior has also been noted in Type II outbursts from other sources. While the phenomenological models provide good fits to the spectrum, this approach is sometimes difficult to translate into direct insight into the details of the fundamental accretion physics. Hence we have also analyzed spectra obtained during high and low phases of the outburst using a new, recently-developed physics-based theoretical model, which allows us to study the variations of physical parameters such as temperature, density, and magnetic field strength during the outburst. Application of the theoretical model reveals that the observed spectrum is dominated by Comptonized bremsstrahlung emission emitted from the column walls in both the high and low states. We show that the spectral flattening observed at high luminosities results from a decrease in the electron temperature, combined with a compactification of the emission zone, which reduces the efficiency of bulk Comptonization. We also demonstrate that when the source is at maximum luminosity, the spectrum tends to harden around the peak of the pulse profile, and we discuss possible theoretical explanations for this behavior. We argue that the totality of the behavior in this source can be explained if the accretion column is in a quasi-critical state when at the maximum luminosity observed during the outburst.