Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Relativistic Iron Emission Lines In Neutron Star Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries As Probes Of Neutron Star Radii, Edward M. Cackett, Jon M. Miller, Sudip Bhattacharyya, Jonathan E. Grindlay, Jeroen Homan, Michiel Van Der Klis, M. Coleman Miller, Tod E. Strohmayer, Rudy Wijnands

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

Using Suzaku observations of three neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (Ser X-1, 4U 1820-30, and GX 349+2) we have found broad, asymmetric, relativistic Fe K emission lines in all three objects. These Fe K lines can be well fit by a model for lines from a relativistic accretion disk (``diskline''), allowing a measurement of the inner radius of the accretion disk and hence an upper limit on the neutron star radius. These upper limits correspond to 14.5-16.5 km for a 1.4 M_solar neutron star. The inner disk radii that we measure with Fe K lines are in good agreement …