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<p>Accretion onto strongly magnetised neutron stars is commonly interpreted using quasi-steady models, in which the accretion-column structure adjusts smoothly to the mass inflow rate. The cyclotron line in the X-ray spectrum, whose centroid energy traces the magnetic field strength and thus the height of the line-forming region, provides a key diagnostic of this structure. Whether this simple quasi-steady description remains valid on short dynamical timescales has remained uncertain. Here we show that, during a giant outburst of the X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262, quasi-periodic hard X-ray flux variations are accompanied by synchronised oscillations of the cyclotron line energy, with amplitudes exceeding those expected from simple accretion-rate fluctuations. The anti-correlation between cyclotron energy and apparent flux provides direct spectral-timing evidence for rapid changes in the line-forming region, which we interpret as geometric reconfiguration of the accretion column. The variability emerges in the luminosity regime where radiation pressure becomes dynamically important. These results reveal limitations of a simple quasi-steady interpretation for this source and suggest that radiation-supported columns can enter intrinsically dynamical states in high-luminosity accreting pulsars.</p>

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Rapid quasi-periodic reconfiguration of the accretion column in pulsar 1A 0535+262

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月9日

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  • Lingda Kong,
  • Xiaohang Dai,
  • Andrea Santangelo,
  • Long Ji,
  • Valery F. Suleimanov,
  • Alexander A. Mushtukov,
  • Lorenzo Ducci,
  • Shu Zhang,
  • Qingcang Shui,
  • Shuang-Nan Zhang,
  • Hua Feng,
  • Sergey S. Tsygankov,
  • Honghui Liu,
  • Pengju Wang,
  • Qi Liu

摘要

Accretion onto strongly magnetised neutron stars is commonly interpreted using quasi-steady models, in which the accretion-column structure adjusts smoothly to the mass inflow rate. The cyclotron line in the X-ray spectrum, whose centroid energy traces the magnetic field strength and thus the height of the line-forming region, provides a key diagnostic of this structure. Whether this simple quasi-steady description remains valid on short dynamical timescales has remained uncertain. Here we show that, during a giant outburst of the X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262, quasi-periodic hard X-ray flux variations are accompanied by synchronised oscillations of the cyclotron line energy, with amplitudes exceeding those expected from simple accretion-rate fluctuations. The anti-correlation between cyclotron energy and apparent flux provides direct spectral-timing evidence for rapid changes in the line-forming region, which we interpret as geometric reconfiguration of the accretion column. The variability emerges in the luminosity regime where radiation pressure becomes dynamically important. These results reveal limitations of a simple quasi-steady interpretation for this source and suggest that radiation-supported columns can enter intrinsically dynamical states in high-luminosity accreting pulsars.