The pulsed light curve of VELA X-1

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

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Light Curve, Stellar Magnetic Fields, X Ray Binaries, Magnetic Field Configurations, Magnetohydrodynamics, Neutron Stars, Periodic Variations, Stellar Rotation

Scientific paper

LE and ME data from the Exosat Observatory were used to investigate the 283-sec pulse profile of Vela X-1 in its dependence on spin and orbital phase as well as energy. Pulsed emission was found down to the lowest energy measureable (0.7-2 keV). A pulse-phase analysis showed that the normalized pulse profiles are independent of the orbital phase and constant on time scales larger than 4 h. It is shown that the five low-energy peaks evolve gradually out of the double peak structure at high energies, and that the transition occurs in the 6-20 keV range. Comparison with existing models shows that the neutron star is a near-orthogonal rotator with the magnetic axis close to the line of sight, and that the X-ray must be produced in slightly asymmetric accretion columns at the magnetic poles. These columns consist of cold, highly magnetized plasma. The energy region in which the pulse shape transformation took place indicates a magnetic field of 2-5 TG.

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