Flaring activity from quiescent states in neutron-star X-ray binaries

We examine systematically the observed X-ray luminosity jumps(or flares) from quiescent states in millisecond binary pulsars(MSBPs) and high-mass X-ray binary pulsars(HMXBPs). We rely on the published X-ray light curves of seven pulsars: four HMXBPs, two MSBPs and the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar M82 X-2. We discuss the physics of their flaring activities or lack thereof, paying special attention to their emission properties when they are found on the propeller line, inside the Corbet gap or near the light-cylinder barrier. We provide guiding principles for future interpretations of faint X-ray observations, as well as a method of constraining the propeller lines and the dipolar surface magnetic fields of pulsars using a variety of quiescent states. In the process, we clarify some disturbing inaccuracies that have made their way into the published literature.

Reciprocating Magnetic Fields in the Pulsar Wind Observed from the Black Widow Pulsar J1720-0534

We report the radio observations of the eclipsing black widow pulsar J1720-0534, a 3.26 ms pulsar in orbit with a low mass companion of mass 0.029 to 0.034 M⊙. We obtain the phase-connected timing ephemeris and polarization profile of this millisecond pulsar(MSP) using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST), the Green Bank Telescope(GBT), and the Parkes Telescope. For the first time from such a system, an oscillatory polarization angle change was observed from a particular eclipse egress with partial depolarization, indicating 10-milliGauss-level reciprocating magnetic fields oscillating in a length scale of 5 ×10^(3)km(assuming an orbital inclination angle of 90°) outside the companion's magnetosphere. The dispersion measure variation observed during the ingresses and egresses shows the rapid raising of the electron density in the shock boundary between the companion's magnetosphere and the surrounding pulsar wind. We suggest that the observed oscillatory magnetic fields originate from the pulsar wind outside the companion's magnetosphere.

Accretion properties of MAXI J1813-095 during its failed outburst in 2018

We present the results obtained from detailed timing and spectral studies of a black hole candidate MAXI J1813-095 using Swift,NICER,and NuSTAR observations during its 2018 outburst.The timing behavior of the source is mainly studied by examining NICER light curves in the 0.5−10 keV range.We did not find any signature of quasi-periodic oscillations in the power density spectra of the source.We carry out spectral analysis with a combined disk blackbody&power law model,and physical two-component advective flow(TCAF)model.From the combined disk blackbody&power-law model,we extracted thermal and non-thermal fluxes,photon index and inner disk temperature.We also find evidence for weak reflection in the spectra.We have tested the physical TCAF model on a broadband spectrum from NuSTAR and Swift/XRT.The parameters like mass accretion rates,the size of Compton clouds and the shock strength are extracted.Our result affirms that the source remained in the hard state during the entire outburst which indicates a‘failed’outburst.We estimate the mass of the black hole as 7.4±1.5M⊙from the spectral study with the TCAF model.We apply the LAOR model for the Fe K line emission.From this,the spin parameter of the black hole is ascertained as a^(∗)>0.76.The inclination angle of the system is estimated to be in the range of 28°−45°from the reflection model.We find the source distance to be∼6 kpc.

Constraining the Orbital Inclination and Companion Properties of Three Black Widow Pulsars Detected by FAST

Black widows(BWs)are millisecond pulsars ablating their companion stars.The out-flowing material from the companion can block the radio emission of the pulsar,resulting in eclipses.In this paper,we construct a model for the radio eclipse by calculating the geometry of the bow shock between the winds of the pulsar and companion,where the shock shapes the eclipsing medium but had not been described in detail in previous works.The model is further used to explain the variations of the flux density and dispersion measure of three BW pulsars(i.e.,PSR B1957+20,J2055+3829,and J2051-0827)detected by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope.Consequently,we constrained the parameters of the three BW systems such as the inclination angles and true anomalies of the observer as well as the mass-loss rates and wind velocity of the companion stars.With the help of these constraints,it is expected that magnetic fields of companion stars and even masses of pulsars could further be determined as some extra observation can be achieved in the future.