Evaluation of several explanations of the strong X-ray polarization of the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630-47

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985815%3A_____%2F24%3A00602927" target="_blank" >RIV/67985815:_____/24:00602927 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0360335" target="_blank" >https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0360335</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad855c" target="_blank" >10.3847/2041-8213/ad855c</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Evaluation of several explanations of the strong X-ray polarization of the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630-47

Original language description

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer observations of the X-ray binary 4U 1630-47 in the high soft state revealed high linear polarization degrees (PDs) rising from 6% at 2 keV to 10% at 8 keV. We discuss in this Letter three different mechanisms that impact the polarization of the observed X-rays: the reflection of gravitationally lensed emission by the accretion disk, reprocessing of the emission in outflowing plasma, and electron and ion anisotropies in the accretion disk atmosphere. We conducted detailed ray-tracing studies to evaluate the impact of the reflection of strongly gravitationally lensed emission on the PDs. Although the reflected emission can produce high PDs in the high-energy tail of the thermal emission component, we do not find models that describe the PDs and are consistent with independent estimates of the source distance. We discuss the energetics of another proposed mechanism: the emission or scattering of the X-rays in mildly relativistically moving plasma outflows. We argue that these models are disfavored as they require large mechanical luminosities on the order of, or even exceeding, the Eddington luminosity. We investigated the impact of electron and ion anisotropies but find that their impact on the observed PDs are likely negligible. We conclude with a discussion of all three effects and avenues for future research.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10308 - Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Astrophysical Journal Letters

ISSN

2041-8205

e-ISSN

2041-8213

Volume of the periodical

977

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

L10

UT code for WoS article

001369653800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85211040472