Truncation of the Accretion Disk at One Third of the Eddington Limit in the Neutron Star Low-Mass X-ray Binary Aquila X-1

Abstract

We perform a reflection study on a new observation of the neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary Aquila X-1 taken with NuSTAR during the 2016 August outburst and compare with the 2014 July outburst. The source was captured at ~32% L_(Edd), which is over four times more luminous than the previous observation during the 2014 outburst. Both observations exhibit a broadened Fe line profile. Through reflection modeling, we determine that the inner disk is truncated R_(in,2016) = 11^(+2)_(-1) R_g (where R_g= GM/c^2) and R_(in,2014) = 14 ± 2 R_g (errors quoted at the 90% confidence level). Fiducial NS parameters (M_(NS) = 1.4 M⊙, R_(NS) = 10 km) give a stellar radius of R_(NS) = 4.85 R g ; our measurements rule out a disk extending to that radius at more than the 6σ level of confidence. We are able to place an upper limit on the magnetic field strength of B ≤ 3.0–4.5 × 109 G at the magnetic poles, assuming that the disk is truncated at the magnetospheric radius in each case. This is consistent with previous estimates of the magnetic field strength for Aquila X-1. However, if the magnetosphere is not responsible for truncating the disk prior to the NS surface, we estimate a boundary layer with a maximum extent of R_(BL,2016) ~ 10 R_g and R_(BL,2014) ~ 6 R_g. Additionally, we compare the magnetic field strength inferred from the Fe line profile of Aquila X-1 and other NS low-mass X-ray binaries to known accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars.

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