Truncation of the Accretion Disk at One-third of the Eddington Limit in the Neutron Star Low-mass X-Ray Binary Aquila X-1

Ludlam, R. M.;Miller, J. M.;Degenaar, N.;Sanna, A.;Cackett, E. M.;Altamirano, D.;King, A. L.

2017-01-01

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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% Ldd, 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 (where R g = GM/c 2) and (errors quoted at the 90% confidence level). Fiducial NS parameters (M NS = 1.4 M o, 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 and . 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.