Constraints on the Velocity and Spatial Distribution of Helium‐like Ions in the Wind of SMC X‐1 from Observations with theXMM‐NewtonReflection Grating Spectrometer

Abstract

We present here X-ray spectra of the HMXB SMC X-1 obtained in an observation with the XMM-Newton observatory beginning before eclipse and ending near the end of eclipse. With RGS on board XMM-Newton, we observe emission lines from hydrogen-like and helium-like ions of nitrogen, oxygen, neon, magnesium, and silicon. Although the resolution of the RGS is sufficient to resolve the helium-like n = 2→ 1 emission into three line components, only one of these components, the intercombination line, is detected in our data. The lack of flux in the forbidden lines of the helium-like triplets is explained by pumping by ultraviolet photons from the B0 star, and, from this, we set an upper limit on the distance of the emitting ions from the star. The lack of observable flux in the resonance lines of the helium-like triplets indicates a lack of enhancement due to resonance line scattering, and, from this, we derive a new observational constraint on the distribution of the wind in SMC X-1 in velocity and coordinate space. We find that the solid angle subtended by the volume containing the helium-like ions at the neutron star multiplied by the velocity dispersion of the helium-like ions must be less than 4π sr km s−1. This constraint will be satisfied if the helium-like ions are located primarily in clumps distributed throughout the wind or in a thin layer along the surface of the B0 star.