Possible detection of a cyclotron resonance scattering feature in the X-ray pulsar 4U 1909+07
- Astronomy and Astrophysics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009 (India)
- Raman Research Institute, Sadashivnagar, C. V. Raman Avenue, Bangalore 560080 (India)
We present timing and broad band spectral studies of the high-mass X-ray binary pulsar 4U 1909+07 using data from Suzaku observations during 2010 November 2-3. The pulse period of the pulsar is estimated to be 604.11 ± 0.14 s. Pulsations are seen in the X-ray light curve up to ∼70 keV. The pulse profile is found to be strongly energy-dependent: a complex, multi-peaked structure at low energy becomes a simple single peak at higher energy. We found that the 1-70 keV pulse-averaged continuum can be fit by the sum of a blackbody and a partial covering Negative and Positive power law with Exponential cutoff model. A weak iron fluorescence emission line at 6.4 keV was detected in the spectrum. An absorption-like feature at ∼44 keV was clearly seen in the residuals of the spectral fitting, independent of the continuum model adopted. To check the possible presence of a cyclotron resonance scattering feature (CRSF) in the spectrum, we normalized the pulsar spectrum with the spectrum of the Crab Nebula. The resulting Crab ratio also showed a clear dip centered at ∼44 keV. We performed statistical tests on the residuals of the spectral fitting and also on the Crab spectral ratio to determine the significance of the absorption-like feature and identified it as a CRSF of the pulsar. We estimated the corresponding surface magnetic field of the pulsar to be 3.8 × 10{sup 12} G.
- OSTI ID:
- 22348524
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 779, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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