In the realm of astrophysics, a team of researchers led by Dr. Maria Díaz Trigo from the European Space Astronomy Centre and Dr. Enrico Caruso from the University of Palermo have made a significant observation that could enhance our understanding of accretion disc winds in X-ray binaries. Their study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, leverages the high-resolution capabilities of the XRISM satellite to investigate the high inclination Low Mass X-Ray Binary (LMXB) system 4U 1624-49.
The team, which includes members from various institutions such as the University of Amsterdam, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and the University of Maryland, focused on the persistent accretion and highly ionized plasmas observed in LMXBs. Their goal was to detect and characterize the winds in the system 4U 1624-49, which has shown evidence of highly ionized plasma in previous X-ray observations.
Using the XRISM satellite’s Resolve instrument, the researchers performed phase-resolved spectroscopy throughout the binary orbit, excluding the absorption dips. They successfully detected an outflow, characterized by an average velocity of approximately 200-320 km/s and a column density exceeding 10^23 cm^-2. The line profiles of the outflow were generally narrow, ranging from 50 to 100 km/s, depending on the orbital phase. This suggests a low velocity sheer or turbulence within the highly ionized outflow, with a potential increase in turbulence as the absorption dip is approached, likely due to turbulent mixing.
The researchers concluded that the line profiles, along with the derived launching radius and wind velocity, are consistent with a wind being launched from the outskirts of the disc and without stratification. This points to a thermal-radiative pressure origin for the wind.
While this research is primarily focused on astrophysics, the understanding of accretion disc winds and their mechanisms can have implications for the energy sector, particularly in the field of nuclear fusion. The study of highly ionized plasmas and their behavior can provide insights into plasma confinement and stability, which are crucial for the development of fusion reactors. By understanding the dynamics of these plasmas, scientists can potentially improve the efficiency and stability of fusion reactions, bringing us closer to harnessing fusion energy as a viable power source.
The research paper, titled “A highly ionised outflow in the X-ray binary 4U 1624-49 detected with XRISM,” was published in Nature Astronomy, providing a significant contribution to the field of astrophysics and potentially offering valuable insights for the energy sector.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.