https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad226e">
 

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

A large energy-dependent X-ray polarization degree is detected by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in the high-soft emission state of the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630–47. The highly significant detection (at ≈50σ confidence level) of an unexpectedly high polarization, rising from ∼6% at 2 keV to ∼10% at 8 keV, cannot be easily reconciled with standard models of thin accretion disks. In this work, we compare the predictions of different theoretical models with the IXPE data and conclude that the observed polarization properties are compatible with a scenario in which matter accretes onto the black hole through a thin disk covered by a partially ionized atmosphere flowing away at mildly relativistic velocities.

Department

Space Science Center

Publication Date

3-1-2024

Journal Title

The Astrophysical Journal

Publisher

American Astronomical Society

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad226e

Document Type

Article

Rights

© 2024. The Author(s).

Comments

This is an open access article published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal in 2024, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad226e

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