Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-10-2012
Publication Title
Letters of the Astrophysical Journal
Department
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
X-ray reflection signatures are observed around multiple classes of accreting compact objects. Modelling these features yield important constraints on the physics of accretion disks, motivating the development of X-ray reflection models appropriate for a variety of systems and illumination conditions. Here, constant density ionized X-ray reflection models are presented for a disk irradiated with a very hard power-law X-ray spectrum (\Gamma < 1) and a variable high-energy cutoff. These models are then applied to the Suzaku data of the accreting X-ray pulsar LMC X-4, where very good fits are obtained with a highly ionized reflector responsible for both the broad Fe K line and the soft excess. The ionized reflector shows strong evidence for significant Doppler broadening and is redshifted by ~10^4 km/s. These features indicate that the reflecting material is associated with the complex dynamics occurring at the inner region of the magnetically-truncated accretion disk. Thus, reflection studies of X-ray pulsar spectra may give important insights into the accretion physics at the magnetospheric radius.
DOI
10.1088/2041-8205/747/2/L35
Original Citation
D. R. Ballantyne et al 2012 ApJL 747 L35
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Ballantyne, D. R.; Purvis, J. D.; Strausbaugh, R. G.; and Hickox, R. C., "Ionized Reflection Spectra from Accretion Disks Illuminated by X-Ray Pulsars" (2012). Dartmouth Scholarship. 1789.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/facoa/1789
