Pulse timing studies of X-ray binaries: GX 1+4, Swift J0513.4-6547, X Persei and SXP 1062

---

Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Fizik Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2019

Öğrenci: MUHAMMED MİRAÇ SERİM

Danışman: ALTAN BAYKAL

Özet:

This thesis focuses on X-ray timing properties of four different X-ray binary systems, based on archival data of the X-ray missions RXTE, Swift, XMM-Newton, Chandra and Integral. One of the selected sources is a LMXB system GX 1+4 while remaining sources are BeXB systems: SWIFT J0513.4-6547, X Persei and SXP 1062. For GX 1+4, the timing analysis of RXTE-PCA observations between 2001 March 3 and 2003 January 31 are presented. The timing solutions of two different time intervals are constructed. Futhermore, within the CGRO-BATSE data between 1991 and 1999, an episodic mode-switching of correlation between X-ray flux and frequency derivative is observed. For SWIFT J0513.4-6547, the data of 2009 outburst and the re-brightening in 2014 are investigated with exquisite details. When the source is quiescent between 2009 and 2014, average spin-down rate of the source is measured to be ∼ 1.52 × 10−12 Hz/s indicating a surface dipole magnetic field of ∼ 1.5 × 1013 G. X Persei is examined using RXTE and Integral observations between 1998 and 2010. For X Persei, the result on the dependence of frequency derivative on X-ray flux hints that wind accretion is also possible. From the noise spectrum, a red noise component with an index of ∼ −1 is observed with an excessive noise component dominating the disc accretion flow on long time-scales. In the case of SXP 1062, the pulsar’s rotation is observed to slow down with a steady rate −4.29(7) × 10−14 Hz/s from which the magnetic field is inferred to be ∼ 1.5 × 1014 G. Furthermore, precise pulse timing study of the object reveals a glitch event with an amplitude of ∆ν = 1.28(5) × 10−6 Hz which is an extraordinary event for an accreting pulsar. Although the glitch events are conventionally observed in isolated pulsars, the discovery of a glitch in SXP 1062 ensures that glitch events are also possible for accreting pulsars.