On the soft excess in the x-ray spectrum of circinus X-1: Revisitation of the distance to circinus X-1

We report on a 300 ks BeppoSAX (0.12-200 keV) observation of Circinus X-1 (Cir X-1) at phases between 0.62 and 0.84 and on a 90 ks BeppoSAX observation of Cir X-1 at phases 0.11-0.16. Using the canonical model adopted until now to fit the energy spectrum of this source, large residuals appear below 1 keV. These are well fitted using an equivalent hydrogen column of 0.66¿1022 cm-2, adding absorption edges of O VII, O VIII, and Ne IX in the spectra extracted from the observation at phases 0.62-0.84 and adding absorption edges of O VII, O VIII, Mg XI, and Mg XII and absorption lines of O VIII and Mg XII in the spectra extracted from the observation at phases 0.11-0.16. During the observation a…