Insight-HXMT Spectral and Timing Studies of a Giant Outburst in RX J0440.9+4431

TL;DR

This study analyzes the spectral and timing variability of the Be/X-ray binary pulsar RX J0440.9+4431 during its 2022-2023 giant outburst using Insight-HXMT data, revealing changes in pulse profiles and cyclotron features.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed spectral and timing analysis of this pulsar during a giant outburst, identifying cyclotron features and magnetic field estimates.

Findings

Pulse profile changes with luminosity during outburst

Detection of cyclotron resonance scattering features at 33.6-41.6 keV

Hints of a cyclotron harmonic at 65-75 keV

Abstract

The Be/X-ray binary pulsar RX J0440.9+4431 underwent a giant outburst in late 2022 and lasted three months. The Insight-HXMT has observed this source at several instances of the entire outburst in 2022-2023. We used these bright outburst observations of the pulsar to study its X-ray spectral and timing variability. The pulse profiles obtained at similar luminosity during the progress and declining phases of the outburst show a similar shape behavior.With the increase in source luminosity, the complex pulse profile with multiple peaks at low luminosity becomes a single peaked pulse profile at the high luminosity at the outburst peak. The phase-averaged spectra of the pulsar in 1-120 keV are explained with an absorbed cutoff power-law continuum model. During the outburst phases, we have found the evidence of a cyclotron resonance scattering feature in the spectra varying in energies ($\sim$ 33.6- 41.6 keV) having broad linewidth > 5 keV . In declining phases of the outburst, we have also found the hints of first cyclotron harmonic varying in 65-75 keV . The application of thermal and bulk Comptonization model to the phase-averaged and phase-resolved spectra reveals a high surface magnetic field ($B \sim 10^{13}$ G) for the pulsar.