An IXPE-led X-Ray Spectropolarimetric Campaign on the Soft State of Cygnus X-1: X-Ray Polarimetric Evidence for Strong Gravitational Lensing

Author:

Steiner James F.ORCID,Nathan EdwardORCID,Hu KunORCID,Krawczynski HenricORCID,Dovčiak MichalORCID,Veledina AlexandraORCID,Muleri FabioORCID,Svoboda JiriORCID,Alabarta KevinORCID,Parra MaximeORCID,Bhargava YashORCID,Matt GiorgioORCID,Poutanen JuriORCID,Petrucci Pierre-OlivierORCID,Tennant Allyn F.ORCID,Baglio M. CristinaORCID,Baldini LucaORCID,Barnier SamuelORCID,Bhattacharyya SudipORCID,Bianchi StefanoORCID,Brigitte MaimounaORCID,Cabezas MauricioORCID,Cangemi Floriane,Capitanio FiammaORCID,Casey JacobORCID,Rodriguez Cavero NicoleORCID,Castellano SimoneORCID,Cavazzuti ElisabettaORCID,Chun SoheeORCID,Churazov EugeneORCID,Costa EnricoORCID,Di Lalla NiccolòORCID,Di Marco AlessandroORCID,Egron EliseORCID,Ewing MelissaORCID,Fabiani SergioORCID,García Javier A.ORCID,Green David A.ORCID,Grinberg VictoriaORCID,Hadrava PetrORCID,Ingram AdamORCID,Kaaret PhilipORCID,Kislat FabianORCID,Kitaguchi Takao,Kravtsov VadimORCID,Kubátová BrankicaORCID,La Monaca FabioORCID,Latronico LucaORCID,Loktev VladislavORCID,Malacaria ChristianORCID,Marin FrédéricORCID,Marinucci AndreaORCID,Maryeva OlgaORCID,Mastroserio GuglielmoORCID,Mizuno TsunefumiORCID,Negro MichelaORCID,Omodei NicolaORCID,Podgorný JakubORCID,Rankin JohnORCID,Ratheesh AjayORCID,Rhodes LaurenORCID,Russell David M.ORCID,Šlechta MiroslavORCID,Soffitta PaoloORCID,Spooner SeanORCID,Suleimanov ValeryORCID,Tombesi FrancescoORCID,Trushkin Sergei A.ORCID,Weisskopf Martin C.ORCID,Zane SilviaORCID,Zdziarski Andrzej A.ORCID,Zhang Sixuan,Zhang WendaORCID,Zhou MengleiORCID,Agudo IvánORCID,Antonelli Lucio A.ORCID,Bachetti MatteoORCID,Baumgartner Wayne H.ORCID,Bellazzini RonaldoORCID,Bongiorno Stephen D.ORCID,Bonino RaffaellaORCID,Brez AlessandroORCID,Bucciantini NiccolòORCID,Chen Chien-TingORCID,Ciprini StefanoORCID,De Rosa AlessandraORCID,Del Monte EttoreORCID,Di Gesu LauraORCID,Donnarumma ImmacolataORCID,Doroshenko VictorORCID,Ehlert Steven R.ORCID,Enoto TeruakiORCID,Evangelista YuriORCID,Ferrazzoli RiccardoORCID,Gunji ShuichiORCID,Hayashida Kiyoshi,Heyl JeremyORCID,Iwakiri WataruORCID,Jorstad Svetlana G.ORCID,Karas VladimirORCID,Kolodziejczak Jeffery J.ORCID,Liodakis IoannisORCID,Maldera SimoneORCID,Manfreda AlbertoORCID,Marscher Alan P.ORCID,Marshall Herman L.ORCID,Massaro FrancescoORCID,Mitsuishi Ikuyuki,Ng Chi-YungORCID,O’Dell Stephen L.ORCID,Oppedisano ChiaraORCID,Papitto AlessandroORCID,Pavlov George G.ORCID,Peirson Abel L.ORCID,Perri MatteoORCID,Pesce-Rollins MelissaORCID,Pilia MauraORCID,Possenti AndreaORCID,Puccetti SimonettaORCID,Ramsey Brian D.ORCID,Roberts Oliver J.ORCID,Romani Roger W.ORCID,Sgrò CarmeloORCID,Slane PatrickORCID,Spandre GloriaORCID,Swartz Douglas A.ORCID,Tamagawa ToruORCID,Tavecchio FabrizioORCID,Taverna RobertoORCID,Tawara Yuzuru,Thomas Nicholas E.ORCID,Trois AlessioORCID,Tsygankov Sergey S.ORCID,Turolla RobertoORCID,Vink JaccoORCID,Wu KinwahORCID,Xie FeiORCID

Abstract

Abstract We present the first X-ray spectropolarimetric results for Cygnus X-1 in its soft state from a campaign of five IXPE observations conducted during 2023 May–June. Companion multiwavelength data during the campaign are likewise shown. The 2–8 keV X-rays exhibit a net polarization degree PD = 1.99% ± 0.13% (68% confidence). The polarization signal is found to increase with energy across the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer’s (IXPE) 2–8 keV bandpass. The polarized X-rays exhibit an energy-independent polarization angle of PA = −25.°7 ± 1.°8 east of north (68% confidence). This is consistent with being aligned to Cyg X-1’s au-scale compact radio jet and its parsec-scale radio lobes. In comparison to earlier hard-state observations, the soft state exhibits a factor of 2 lower polarization degree but a similar trend with energy and a similar (also energy-independent) position angle. When scaling by the natural unit of the disk temperature, we find the appearance of a consistent trend line in the polarization degree between the soft and hard states. Our favored polarimetric model indicates that Cyg X-1’s spin is likely high (a * ≳ 0.96). The substantial X-ray polarization in Cyg X-1's soft state is most readily explained as resulting from a large portion of X-rays emitted from the disk returning and reflecting off the disk surface, generating a high polarization degree and a polarization direction parallel to the black hole spin axis and radio jet. In IXPE’s bandpass, the polarization signal is dominated by the returning reflection emission. This constitutes polarimetric evidence for strong gravitational lensing of X-rays close to the black hole.

Funder

NASA ∣ Stennis Space Center

Publisher

American Astronomical Society

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