X-ray and Radio campaign of the Z-source GX 340+0: discovery of X-ray polarization and its implications

Kavli Affiliate: Deepto Chakrabarty

| First 5 Authors: Yash Bhargava, Mason Ng, Liang Zhang, Arvind Balasubramanian, Thomas D. Russell

| Summary:

We present the discovery of X-ray polarization from the neutron star low-mass
X-ray binary and Z-source, GX~340$+$0, using an Imaging X-ray Polarimetry
Explorer (IXPE) observation in March 2024. Along with the IXPE observation, we
conducted an extensive X-ray and radio monitoring campaign to ascertain the
source properties during and around the IXPE observation. The source was within
the horizontal branch throughout the multiwavelength campaign. We measured a
significant X-ray polarization in 2–8 keV with polarization degree (PD) =
$4.02 pm 0.35$% and polarization angle (PA) = $37.6 pm 2.5^circ$. The
energy-dependent polarization indicates that in the 2-2.5 keV energy range, the
PA is much lower, $sim9pm8^circ$, while other energy bands are consistent
with the PA found over 2.5–8 keV. The simultaneous AstroSat-IXPE
spectro-polarimetric observations provide some evidence for independent
polarization from various spectral components, hinting at a disparity in the PA
from the accretion disk and the Comptonized emission, while suggesting an
unpolarized emission from the blackbody component. Radio observations in the
0.7–9 GHz frequency range reveal a non-detection of radio emission in 0.7-1.5
GHz and a significant detection in 5.5–9 GHz, suggesting the presence of a
spectral break in 1.5-5.5 GHz. Using ATCA observation we place upper limits on
the radio polarization at $<$6% on the linear polarization and $<$4% on the
circular polarization at 3$sigma$ level. We discuss the origin of the X-ray
polarization and its implications on the geometry of the spectral components.

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