Discovery of a Third Harmonic Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature in the X-Ray Spectrum of 4U 0115+63

Abstract

We have discovered a third harmonic cyclotron resonance scattering feature (CRSF) in observations of the recent outburst of 4U 0115+63 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The spectrum in a narrow pulse phase range shows CRSFs at 12.40+0.65/-0.35, 21.45+0.25/-0.38, and 33.56+0.70/-0.90 keV. With centroid energy ratios to the fundamental of 1.73+/-0.08 and 2.71+/-0.13, the CRSFs are not harmonically spaced. Strong variability of the continuum and CRSFs with pulse phase indicate a complex emission geometry near the neutron star polar cap. In addition, one RXTE observation, which spanned periastron passage, revealed a strong 2 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO). This is slower by two orders of magnitude than the beat-frequency QPO expected in this system and slower by a factor of more than 5 compared with other QPOs seen in accreting X-ray pulsars.