The Evolution of LMC X‐4 Flares: Evidence for Super‐Eddington Radiation Oozing through Inhomogeneous Polar Cap Accretion Flows?

Abstract

We present the results of two extensive Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer observations of large X-ray flaring episodes from the high-mass X-ray binary pulsar LMC X-4. Light curves during the flaring episodes comprise bright peaks embedded in relatively fainter regions, with complex patterns of recurrence and clustering of flares. We identify precursors preceding the flaring activity. Pulse profiles during the flares appear to be simple sinusoids, and pulsed fractions are proportional to the flare intensities. We fit Gaussian functions to flare peaks to estimate the mean FWHM to be ~68 s. Significant rapid aperiodic variability exists up to a few hertz during the flares, which is related to the appearance of narrow, spiky peaks in the light curves. While spectral fits and softness ratios show overall spectral softening as the flare intensity increases, the narrow, spiky peaks do not follow this trend. The mean fluence of the flare peaks is (3.1 ± 2.9) × 1040 ergs in the 2.5-25 keV energy range, with its maximum at ~1.9 × 1041 ergs. The flare peak luminosity reaches up to (2.1 ± 0.2) × 1039 ergs s-1, far above the Eddington luminosity of a neutron star. We discuss possible origins of the flares, and we also propose that inhomogeneous accretion columns onto the neutron star polar caps are responsible for the observed properties.