0000000000243119
AUTHOR
G K Jaisawal
MAXI J1957+032: a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar in an ultra-compact binary
The detection of coherent X-ray pulsations at ~314 Hz (3.2 ms) classifies MAXI J1957+032 as a fast-rotating, accreting neutron star. We present the temporal and spectral analysis performed using NICER observations collected during the latest outburst of the source. Doppler modulation of the X-ray pulsation revealed the ultra-compact nature of the binary system characterised by an orbital period of ~1 hour and a projected semi-major axis of 14 lt-ms. The neutron star binary mass function suggests a minimum donor mass of 1.7e-2 Msun, assuming a neutron star mass of 1.4 Msun and a binary inclination angle lower than 60 degrees. This assumption is supported by the lack of eclipses or dips in th…
Spectral analysis of the AMXP during its 2018 outburst
The Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar IGR J17591-2342 is a Low Mass X-ray Binary (LMXB) system that went in outburst on 2018 August and it was monitored by the NICER observatory and partially by other facilities. We aim to study how the spectral emission of this source evolved during the outburst by exploiting the whole X-ray data repository of simultaneous observations. The continuum emission of the combined broad-band spectra is on average well described by an absorbed Comptonization component scattering blackbody-distributed photons peaking at (0.8 +/- 0.5) keV by a moderately optically thick corona (tau = 2.3 +/- 0.5) with temperature of (34 +/- 9) keV. A blackbody component with tempe…