Spin period change and the magnetic fields of neutron stars in Be X-ray binaries in the SMC

¹ Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
² Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
³ University of Maryland Baltimore County, X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Mail Code 662, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

^a e-mail: hvk1g11@soton.ac.uk

Published online: 8 January 2014

Abstract

We report on the long term average spin period, rate of change of spin period and X-ray luminosity during outbursts for 42 Be X-ray binary systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We also collect and calculate parameters of each system and use this data to determine that all systems contain a neutron star which is accreting via a disc, rather than a wind, and that if these neutron stars are near spin equilibrium, then over half of them, including all with spin periods over about 100 seconds, have magnetic fields over the quantum critical level of 4.4×10¹³ G. If these neutron stars are not close to spin equilibrium, then their magnetic fields are inferred to be much lower, on the order of 10⁶-10¹⁰ G, comparable to the fields of neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries. Both results are unexpected and have implications for the rate of magnetic field decay and the isolated neutron star population.