arXiv subjects

Eric C. Ford

Publications and source records attributed to Eric C. Ford.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2001

The Amplitude of the Kilohertz Quasi-periodic Oscillations in 4U 1728-34, 4U 1608-52, and Aql X-1, as a Function of X-ray Intensity

We study the kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in the low-mass X-ray binaries 4U 1728-34, 4U 1608-52, and Aql X-1. Each source traces out a set of nearly parallel lines in a frequency vs. X-ray count rate diagram. We find that between two of these tracks, for similar QPO frequency, the source count rate can differ by up to a factor of ~ 4, whereas at the same time the rms amplitude of the kHz QPOs is only a factor of ~ 1.1 different. We also find that, for 4U 1608-52 and Aql X-1, the rms spectrum of the kHz QPOs does not depend upon which track the source occupies in the frequency vs. X-ray count rate diagram. Our results for 4U 1728-34, 4U 1608-52, and Aql X-1 are inconsistent with scenarios in which the properties of the kHz QPOs are only determined by the mass accretion rate through the disk, whereas X-ray count rate also depends upon other sources of energy that do not affect the QPOs.

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arXiv2001

Discovery of a kHz QPO in 2S 0918-549

We report the discovery of a kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) in the low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) 2S 0918-549. The kHz QPO has a frequency of 1156+-9 Hz, a FWHM of 70+-20 Hz, and a fractional rms amplitude of 18%+-2%. We also detected for the first time a type I X-ray burst in this source. The compact object must therefore be a neutron star. Finally, we were able to classify the source as an atoll source exhibiting the full complement of spectral/timing states of this class (island and banana). From the peak burst flux an upper limit on the persistent luminosity can be derived of 0.5% of the Eddington luminosity, making 2S 0918-549 one of the least luminous LMXBs showing a kHz QPO. We compare the fractional rms amplitudes of the upper kHz QPO across the ensemble of LMXBs. We find a strong anticorrelation with luminosity. In LMXBs with luminosities ~100 times lower than those of Z-sources, the fractional rms amplitude is a factor ~10 larger.

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arXiv2000

Simultaneous Measurements of X-Ray Luminosity and Kilohertz Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries

We measure simultaneously the properties of the energy spectra and the frequencies of the kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in fifteen low mass X-ray binaries covering a wide range of X-ray luminosities. In each source the QPO frequencies cover the same range of approximately 300 Hz to 1300 Hz, though the sources differ by two orders of magnitude in their X-ray luminosities (as measured from the unabsorbed 2-50 keV flux). So the X-ray luminosity does not uniquely determine the QPO frequency. This is difficult to understand since the evidence from individual sources indicates that the frequency and luminosity are very well correlated at least over short timescales. Perhaps beaming effects or bolometric corrections change the observed luminosities, or perhaps part of the energy in mass accretion is used to power outflows reducing the energy emitted in X-rays. It is also possible that the parameters of a QPO model are tuned in such a way that the same range of frequencies appears in all sources. Different modes of accretion may be involved for example (disk and radial) or multiple parameters may conspire to yield the same frequencies.

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arXiv2000

Relativistic Effects in the Pulse Profile of the 2.5 msec X-Ray Pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658

We analyze the properties of the pulsed emission from the accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 in observations of its April 1998 outburst by the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. Pulse phase spectroscopy shows that the emission evolves from a hard spectrum (power law with photon index 2.39+-0.06) to a soft spectrum (index 3.39+-0.24). This softening is also observable as a phase lag in the fundamental of low-energy photons with respect to high-energy photons. We show that this lag is roughly constant over ten days of the outburst. We fit these data with a model where the pulse emission is from a hot spot on the rotating neutron star and the flux as a function of phase is calculated including the effects of general relativity. The energy-dependent lags are very well described by this model. The harder spectra at earlier phases (as the spot approaches) are the result of larger Doppler boosting factors which are important for this fast pulsar.

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arXiv2000

The power spectral properties of the Z-source GX 340+0

We present an analysis of ~390 ksec of data of the Z source GX 340+0 taken during 24 observations with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite. We report the discovery of a new broad component in the power spectra. The frequency of this component varied between 9 and 14 Hz, and remained close to half that of the horizontal branch quasi-periodic oscillations (HBO). Its rms amplitude was consistent with being constant around ~5%, while its FWHM increased with frequency from 7 to 18 Hz. If this sub-HBO component is the fundamental frequency, then the HBO and its second harmonic are the second and fourth harmonic component, while the third harmonic was not detected. This is similar to what was recently found for the black hole candidate XTE J1550-564. The profiles of both the horizontal- and the normal branch quasi-periodic oscillation peaks were asymmetric when they were strongest. We describe this in terms of a shoulder component at the high frequency side of the quasi-periodic oscillation peak, whose rms amplitudes were approximately constant at ~4% and \~3%, respectively. The peak separation between the twin kHz quasi-periodic oscillations was consistent with being constant at 339+-8 Hz but a trend similar to that seen in, e.g. Sco X-1 could not be excluded. We discuss our results within the framework of the various models which have been proposed for the kHz QPOs and low frequency peaks.

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arXiv2000

Relations Between Timing Features and Colors in the X-Ray Binary 4U 0614+09

We study the correlations between timing and X-ray spectral properties in the low mass X-ray binary 4U 0614+09 using a large (265-ks) data set obtained with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. We find strong quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of the X-ray flux, like the kilohertz QPOs in many other X-ray binaries with accreting neutron stars, with frequencies ranging from 1329 Hz down to 418 Hz and, perhaps, as low as 153 Hz. We report the highest frequency QPO yet from any low mass X-ray binary at 1329+-4 Hz, which has implications for neutron star structure. This QPO has a 3.5-sigma single-trial significance, for an estimated 40 trials the significance is 2.4-sigma. Besides the kilohertz QPOs, the Fourier power spectra show four additional components: high frequency noise (HFN), described by a broken power-law with a break frequency between 0.7 and 45 Hz, very low frequency noise (VLFN), which is fitted as a power-law below 1 Hz, and two broad Lorentzians with centroid frequencies varying from 6 to 38 Hz and 97 to 158 Hz, respectively. We find strong correlations between the frequencies of the kilohertz QPOs, the frequency of the 6 to 38 Hz broad Lorentzian, the break frequency of the HFN, the strength of both the HFN and the VLFN and the position of the source in the hard X-ray color vs. intensity diagram. The frequency of the 97 to 158 Hz Lorentzian does not correlate with these parameters. We also find that the relation between power density and break frequency of the HFN is similar to that established for black hole candidates in the low state. We suggest that the changing mass accretion rate is responsible for the correlated changes in all these parameters.

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arXiv1999

Discovery of a ~1 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation in the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1746-37

We have discovered a ~1 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the persistent X-ray emission and during type I X-ray bursts of the globular cluster source, dipper and low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) 4U 1746-37. The QPO properties resemble those of QPOs found recently in the LMXB dippers 4U 1323-62, and EXO 0748-676, which makes 4U 1746-37 the third source known to exhibit this type of QPOs. We present evidence for X-ray spectral changes in this source similar to those observed in LMXBs referred to as atoll sources. We detect two states, a low intensity and spectrally hard state, and a higher intensity and spectrally soft state. This may explain the different spectral characteristics reported for 4U 1746-37 earlier. The high intensity state resembles the banana branch state of atoll sources. The QPOs are only seen in the low intensity state, and are absent when the source is in the banana branch. This strongly suggests that either the accretion disk or an extended central source change shape between the low intensity state and the banana branch. Twelve bursts were detected, of which 5 took place while the source was on the banana branch and 7 when the source was in the low intensity state. The bursts occurring on the banana branch had an e-folding time ~3 times longer than those which occurred in the low intensity state. Whereas previously detected dips showed only a decrease in count rate of ~15%, we found in one observation a dip in which the count rate dropped from ~200 counts per second to ~20 counts per second. This dip lasted only ~250 seconds, during which clear spectral hardening occured. This is the first time strong evidence for spectral changes during a dip are reported for this source.

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arXiv1999

Lag of Low-Energy Photons in an X-ray Burst Oscillation: Doppler Delays

Numerous X-ray bursts show strong oscillations in their flux at several hundred Hz as revealed by RXTE. Analyzing one such oscillation from the X-ray binary Aql X-1, I find that low energy photons (3.5-5.7 keV) lag high energy photons (>5.7 keV) by approximately 1 radian. The oscillations are thought to be produced by hot spots on the spinning neutron star. The lags can then be explained by a Doppler shifting of emission from the hot spots; higher energy photons being emitted earlier in the spin phase as the spot approaches the observer. A quantitative test of this simple model shows a remarkable agreement with the data. Similar low energy lags have been measured in kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations and in the accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658. A Doppler delay mechanism may be at work there as well.

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arXiv1999

Discovery of Microsecond Soft Lags in the X-Ray Emission of the Atoll Source 4U1636-536

Exploiting the presence of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the timing power spectrum, we find that the soft x-ray emission of the neutron-star X-ray binary and atoll source 4U1636-536 modulated at the QPO frequency lags behind that of the hard x-ray emission. Emission in the 3.8-6.4 keV band is delayed by 25.0 +/- 3.3 microseconds relative to the 9.3-69 keV band. The delay increases in magnitude with increasing energy. Our results are consistent with those of Vaughan et al. (1997), when the sign is corrected (Vaughan et al. 1998), for the atoll source 4U1608-52. The soft lag could be produced by Comptonization of hard photons injected into a cooler electron cloud or by intrinsic spectral softening of the emission during each oscillation cycle.

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arXiv1998

Measurement of Hard Lags and Coherences in the X-Ray Flux of Accreting Neutron Stars and Comparison with Accreting Black Holes

Using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer we have measured lags of the 9 to 33 keV photons relative to the 2 to 9 keV photons in the timing noise between 0.01 and 100 Hz in the accreting neutron stars 4U 0614+091 and 4U 1705-44. We performed similar measurements on the accreting black hole candidates Cyg X-1 and GX 339-4 as a comparison. During the observations these sources were all in low (hard) states. We find phase lags of between 0.03 and 0.2 radians in all these sources, with a variation in frequency much less than expected for a lag constant in time. We also measure a coherence consistent with unity in all sources. As already noted for the black hole candidates, these data are inconsistent with simple Comptonization models invoking a constant time delay. Comptonization in a non-uniform medium can perhaps explain the lags. However, the magnitudes of the lags imply that the hot electron gas extends to more than 1000 Schwarzschild radii. This may constitute an energy problem. We argue that while a large hot cloud is possible for black holes which may hide some of their accretion energy in advection, such a distribution may not be possible neutron stars where all the accretion energy is eventually released at the neutron star surface. This casts doubt on the Comptonization model, though the energy problem may be resolved for example by a wind from the inner disk.

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arXiv1998

Dependence of the Frequency of the Kilohertz Quasi-Periodic Oscillations on X-ray Count Rate and Colors in 4U 1608-52

We present new results based on observations carried out with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer during the decay of an outburst of the low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) and atoll source 4U 1608-52. Our results appear to resolve, at least in 4U 1608-52, one of the long-standing issues about the phenomenology of the kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs), namely, the lack of a unique relation between the frequency of the kHz QPOs and the X-ray flux. We show that despite its complex dependence on the X-ray flux, the frequency of the kHz QPOs is monotonically related to the position of the source in the color-color diagram. Our findings strengthen the idea that, as in the case of Z sources, in the atoll sources the X-ray flux is not a good indicator of $\dot M$, and that the observed changes in the frequency of the kHz QPOs in LMXBs are driven by changes in $\dot M$. These results raise some concern about the recently reported detection of the orbital frequency at the innermost stable orbit in 4U 1820-30.

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arXiv1998

Discovery of a Second Kilohertz QPO in the X-ray Binary 4U 1735-44

In recent observations with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer we have detected two simultaneous quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) peaks in the low mass X-ray binary and atoll source 4U 1735-44. The lower and higher frequency QPOs have frequencies varying between 632 and 729 Hz, and 982 and 1026 Hz, respectively. The fractional rms amplitudes are 3.7 to 8.1% and 5.0 to 5.8%. The frequency separation between the two QPOs changes from 341+-7 Hz to 296+-12 Hz. The inferred mass accretion rate during our observations is relatively low compared to that during the previous observations, where only a single QPO was present. There is weak evidence that the frequency of the QPOs correlates with the mass accretion rate, as observed in other binaries. Five X-ray bursts were recorded with no detectable oscillations with upper limits for the rms fraction of 4% to 13%.

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arXiv1998

Kilohertz Quasi-Periodic Oscillation Peak Separation is not Constant in the Atoll Source 4U 1608-52

We present new Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1608-52 during the decay of its 1998 outburst. We detect by a direct FFT method the existence of a second kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) in its power density spectrum, previously only seen by means of the sensitivity-enhancing `shift and add' technique. This result confirms that 4U 1608-52 is a twin kHz QPO source. The frequency separation between these two QPO decreased significantly, from 325.5 +/- 3.4 Hz to 225.3 +/- 12.0 Hz, as the frequency of the lower kHz QPO increased from 470 Hz to 865 Hz, in contradiction with a simple beat-frequency interpretation. This change in the peak separation of the kHz QPOs is closely similar to that previously seen in Sco X-1, but takes place at a ten times lower average luminosity. We discuss this result within the framework of models that have been proposed for kHz QPO. Beat frequency models where the peak separation is identified with the neutron star spin rate, as well as the explanations previously proposed to account for the similar behavior of the QPOs in Sco X-1, are strongly challenged by this result.

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arXiv1998

Discovery of Kilohertz QPOs in the Atoll X-Ray Binary 4U 1705-44

In observations with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer we have discovered quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) near 1 kHz from 4U 1705-44, a low--mass X-ray binary with a neutron star classified as an atoll source. In six separate observations, we detect one QPO with a frequency ranging between 770 and 870 Hz and a 4% rms fraction in the full detector energy band. There is evidence for a second QPO at 1073 Hz in one interval. The separation in frequency of the two QPOs is 298+-11 Hz. The QPOs are present only in observations where the mass accretion rate is inferred to be at an intermediate level, based on the atoll source phenomenology. At the highest accretion rates, the QPOs are not detected with upper limits to the rms fraction of about 2%. At the lowest accretion rates the upper limits are about 4%. The QPO frequency increases with inferred mass accretion rate. This is expected in models where the QPO frequency is generated by motion at an inner edge of the accretion disk. An increased mass accretion rate causes the disk edge to move in, increasing the orbital frequency. Five Type-I X-ray bursts are observed with no detectable oscillations.

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arXiv1997

Energy Spectra and High Frequency Oscillations in 4U 0614+091

We investigate the behavior of the high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in 4U 0614+091, combining timing and spectral analysis of RXTE observations. The energy spectra of the source can be described by a power law (alpha ~ 2.8) and a blackbody (kT ~ 1.5), with the blackbody accounting for 10 - 20% of the total energy flux. We find a robust correlation of the frequency, nu, of the higher frequency QPO near 1 kHz with the flux of the blackbody, F_BB. The slope of this correlation, dlog(nu)/dlog(F_BB), is 0.27 to 0.37. The source follows the same relation even in observations separated by several months. The QPO frequency does not have a similarly unique correlation with the total flux or the flux of the power law component. The RMS fraction of the higher frequency QPO rises with energy from 6.8 +- 1.5 % (3-5 keV) to 21.3 +- 4.0 % (10-12 keV). For the lower frequency QPO, however, it is consistent with a constant value of 5.4 +- 0.9 %. The results may be interpreted in terms of a beat frequency model for the production of the high frequency QPOs.

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