SIMBAD references

2026ApJ...997..130O - Astrophys. J., 997, 130 (2026/January-3)

Is There a Retrograde Accretion Disk around 4U 1626-67? Tracking Torque Reversals with a State-space Model.

O'LEARY J., MELATOS A., KIMPSON T., CHRISTODOULOU D.M., O'NEILL N.J., MEYERS P.M., BHATTACHARYA S. and LAYCOCK S.G.T.

Abstract (from CDS):

X-ray timing studies of the persistent, Galactic, accretion-powered pulsar 4U 1626-67 reveal torque reversals, during which the pulse frequency ν(t) alternates between multiyear episodes of secular acceleration and deceleration, separated by transitions lasting ≲150 days. Here an unscented Kalman filter is applied to track the ν(t) fluctuations observed in 22.7 yr (3340 samples) of publicly available Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory and Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope data to test the canonical picture of magnetocentrifugal accretion for consistency with prograde-prograde and retrograde-prograde accretion disk configurations on either side of the 2008 torque reversal. It is found that the retrograde-prograde model is preferred, with a log Bayes factor equal to 0.44 and a maximum a posteriori log likelihood ratio equal to 2.5. The mass accretion rate Q(t) and magnetocentrifugal fastness ω(t) transition smoothly between episodes of deceleration and acceleration: Q(t) shifts by ≤0.34 dex across the reversal, and one measures ω(t) ≈ 0.25 and ω(t) ≈ 0.30 during deceleration and acceleration, respectively. The angular acceleration $\dot{{\rm{\Omega }}}(t)$ satisfies $-9\,\lesssim \,\dot{{\rm{\Omega }}}(t)/(1{0}^{-12}\,{\rm{rad}}\,{{\rm{s}}}^{-2})\,\lesssim \,-5$ and $2\,\lesssim \,\dot{{\rm{\Omega }}}(t)/(1{0}^{-12}\,{\rm{rad}}\,{{\rm{s}}}^{-2})\,\lesssim \,9$ before and after the 2008 reversal, respectively, compared to $\dot{{\rm{\Omega }}}\approx -3.0\,\times 1{0}^{-12}\,{\rm{rad}}\,{{\rm{s}}}^{-2}$ before reversal and $\dot{{\rm{\Omega }}}\approx 2.5\times 1{0}^{-12}\,{\rm{rad}}\,{{\rm{s}}}^{-2}$ after reversal, as inferred from previous long-term X-ray timing and spectral analysis of 4U 1626-67.

Abstract Copyright: © 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): High energy astrophysics - Neutron stars - Pulsars - Magnetic fields

Simbad objects: 11

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