arXiv subjects

S. Caserta

Publications and source records attributed to S. Caserta.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

4U 1624-490 as a possible intermediate-mass X-ray binary: constraints from XRISM and NuSTAR spectroscopy

High-inclination dipping neutron-star X-ray binaries provide a direct view of accretion-flow structure because the line of sight intercepts ionised plasma above the disc. We analyse two XRISM/Resolve observations of 4U 1624$-$490 with simultaneous NuSTAR coverage, dividing the data into seven orbital-phase intervals. Phase-resolved fits include neutral partial covering, a photoionised absorber, thermal Comptonisation, and ionised disc reflection. Fe XXV and Fe XXVI absorption are detected over most of the orbit. The absorber column density, ionisation state, covering fraction, and projected velocity vary with orbital phase and the lines are systematically blueshifted, with line-of-sight velocities of about $85$-$440\ {\rm km\,s^{-1}}$. Absorption-only models leave broad Fe-K residuals, while ionised reflection improves the fits. The velocity modulation has a semi-amplitude $K=210\pm14\ {\rm km\,s^{-1}}$ and, if interpreted as orbital motion, implies a mass function $f(M)=0.83\pm0.17\,M_\odot$. Residual structure in the blue wing of Fe XXVI suggests additional kinematic complexity near the dip, but the modulation remains consistent when the two dip-adjacent measurements are excluded. If the absorber traces the neutron-star orbital motion, the inferred donor mass is $M_2=2.66\pm0.32\,M_\odot$, compatible with a Roche-lobe-filling B9 V-B9.5 V star. Under this interpretation, 4U 1624$-$490 may be an intermediate-mass rather than a classical low-mass X-ray binary. (Abridged abstract)

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Unveiling the biconical geometry of the outflow in the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 5204 X-1

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are non-nuclear X-ray binary systems that exceed the Eddington luminosity for a 10 Msun black hole. The majority of these sources are thought to be stellar-mass compact objects accreting at super-Eddington rates, exhibiting powerful relativistic winds. These winds have been identified through the detection of absorption lines with a blueshift as high as 0.3c and emission lines typically found at their laboratory wavelengths. In this work, we analysed the XMM-Newton data of the ULX NGC 5204 X-1, which has been observed to exhibit emission lines with a blueshift of about 0.3c. The aim of this study is to examine the geometry and physical properties of the accretion disc and the relativistic outflows. In addition, we aim to explore the factors that influence the ULX spectral transitions. We undertook an observing campaign with XMM-Newton to explore the source behaviour at different luminosities. In this first paper of the series, we performed high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy, including archival data, with the RGS instrument which allowed us to resolve both emission and absorption lines. The outflows features were characterised using physical models of plasma in collisional-ionisation and photoionisation equilibrium. We identify collisionally-ionised blueshifted and redshifted components at about 0.3c. These findings have high statistical significance and suggest a biconical structure for the outflow. Additionally, the analysis of the O VII line triplet observed in the spectrum enables us to infer physical properties of the low-velocity line-emitting plasma, e.g. electron density (ne $\sim 10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$) and temperature (Te $ \geq 1.5 \times 10^5$ K). A hybrid plasma whose ionisation balance is affected by both collisions and radiation is favoured.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

XMM-Newton multi-year campaign on NGC 55 ULX-1: Resolving the wind and its variability with RGS

Winds are an important ingredient in the evolution of X-ray binary (XRB) systems, particularly those at high accretion rates such as ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), because they may regulate the accretion of matter onto the compact object. We aim at understanding the properties of ULX winds and their link with the source spectral and temporal behavior. We performed high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the variable source NGC 55 ULX-1 to resolve emission and absorption lines as observed with XMM-Newton at different epochs. Optically-thin plasma models are used to characterise the wind. We confirmed and thoroughly strengthened previous evidence of outflows in NGC 55 ULX-1. The presence of radiative recombination signatures and the ratios between the fluxes of the emission lines favours photoionisation balance and low-to-moderate densities, which confirm that the lines originate from classical XRB disc winds. An in-depth parameter space exploration shows line emission from a slowly moving, cool, and variable plasma perhaps associated with a thermal wind. Mildly-relativistic Doppler shifts (about -0.15c) associated with the absorption lines confirm, at higher confidence, the presence of powerful, radiatively-driven, winds. The comparison between results obtained at different epochs revealed that the wind responds to the variability of the underlying continuum and these variations may be used to understand the actual accretion regime and the nature of the source.

astro-ph.HE↗