Discovery of energy-dependent phase variations in the polarization angle of Cen X-3;




Zhao, Qing-Chang; Tao, Lian; Tsygankov, Sergey S.; Poutanen, Juri; Feng, Hua; Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Li, Hancheng; Ge, Mingyu; Zhang, Liang; Mushtukov, Alexander A.

PublisherEDP Sciences

2026

 Astronomy and Astrophysics

A94

708

0004-6361

1432-0746

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202556184

https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202556184

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523438696



We present a detailed polarimetric analysis of Cen X-3 using IXPE observations during its high state, revealing a complex, energy-dependent polarization behavior. While phase-averaged polarization shows marginal energy dependence, phase-resolved analysis reveals that the energy dependence of the polarization angle is strongly phase-dependent, with dramatic variations visible in a few specific phase intervals. We modeled this behavior using a two-component polarization framework consisting of a pulsed component governed by the rotating vector model (RVM) and an additional phase-dependent component. By allowing the additional component’s polarized flux to vary with pulse phase while fixing its PA, the observed complex behavior can be reconciled with a single set of RVM parameters across all energies. Spectroscopic analysis using IXPE, NICER, and NuSTAR during the high state reveals phase-modulated intrinsic hydrogen column density and covering fraction, suggesting that the wind properties are modulated with pulse phase. Our findings indicate that phase-dependent scattering in the disk wind may significantly alter the observed polarization properties of X-ray pulsars.




magnetic fieldsmethods: observationalpolarizationstars: neutrontechniques: polarimetricX-rays: binaries


Financial support for this work is provided by the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFA0718500). We also acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under grant numbers 12122306, 12333007, and U2038102. We acknowledge support from the China’s Space Origins Exploration Program. This research was supported by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, through International Team project 25-657 ‘Polarimetric Insights into Extreme Magnetism’. SST and JP acknowledge support by the Research Council of Finland, the Centre of Excellence in Neutron-Star Physics (project 374064).


Last updated on 19/05/2026 08:26:10 AM