Detection of significant X-ray polarization from transient NS-LMXB XTE J1701−462 with IXPE and its implication on the coronal geometry

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, we performed a spectro-polarimetric analysis of the transient NS-LMXB XTE J1701−462 using IXPE, NICER, and NuSTAR data during its 2022 outburst. We report significant detection of energy-dependent polarization in the X-ray signal from the source on 2022 September 29 in the 2–4, 4–8, and 2–8 keV energy bands with a polarization degree of 3.9 ± 0.3, 5.5 ± 0.6, and 4.5 ± 0.4 per cent, respectively. The polarization angle in the overall 2–8 keV band was ∼143° ± 2°. The spectra were modelled using a combination of thermal emission from an accretion disc, Comptonized emission from a hot electron plasma (or corona) and a Gaussian line. From spectro-polarimetric analysis, the polarization degree due to the disc emission had an upper limit of ∼11.5 per cent, and that of the Comptonized emission was constrained at 7.7 ± 2.5 per cent (at the 3σ level). The results suggest that the Comptonized component probably originates from a spreading-layer/boundary-layer above the neutron star surface. IXPE observation of the source on 2022 October 8 does not show significant polarization which can be attributed to a weakening of the coronal Comptonized emission. The implication of these results are discussed.