Insight-HXMT insight into switch of the accretion mode: the case of the X-ray pulsar 4U 1901+03

Y. L. Tuo, L. Ji, S. S. Tsygankov, T. Mihara, L. M. Song, M. Y. Ge, A. Nabizadeh, L. Tao, J. L. Qu, Y. Zhang, S. Zhang, S. N. Zhang, Q. C. Bu, L. Chen, Y. P. Xu, X. L. Cao, Y. Chen, C. Z. Liu, C. Cai, Z. Chang, G. Chen, T. X. Chen, Y. B. Chen, Y. P. Chen, W. Cui, W. W. Cui, J. K. Deng, Y. W. Dong, Y. Y. Du, M. X. Fu, G. H. Gao, H. Gao, M. Gao, Y. D. Gu, J. Guan, C. C. Guo, D. W. Han, Y. Huang, J. Huo, S. M. Jia, L. H. Jiang, W. C. Jiang, J. Jin, Y. J. Jin, L. D. Kong, B. Li, C. K. Li, G. Li, M. S. Li, T. P. Li, W. Li, X. Li, X. B. Li, X. F. Li, Y. G. Li, Z. W. Li, X. H. Liang, J. Y. Liao, B. S. Liu, G. Q. Liu, H. W. Liu, X. J. Liu, Y. N. Liu, B. Lu, F. J. Lu, X. F. Lu, Q. Luo, T. Luo, X. Ma, B. Meng, Y. Nang, J. Y. Nie, G. Ou, N. Sai, R. C. Shang, X. Y. Song, L. Sun, Y. Tan, C. Wang, G. F. Wang, J. Wang, W. S. Wang, Y. S. Wang, X. Y. Wen, B. Y. Wu, B. B. Wu, M. Wu, G. C. Xiao, S. Xiao, S. L. Xiong, J. W. Yang, S. Yang, Y. J. Yang, Y. J. Yang, Q. B. Yi, Q. Q. Yin, Y. You, A. M. Zhang, C. M. Zhang, F. Zhang, H. M. Zhang, J. Zhang, T. Zhang, W. Zhang, W. C. Zhang, W. Z. Zhang, Y. Zhang, Y. F. Zhang, Y. J. Zhang, Y. H. Zhang, Y. Zhang, Z. Zhang, Z. Zhang, Z. L. Zhang, H. S. Zhao, X. F. Zhao, S. J. Zheng, Y. G. Zheng, D. K. Zhou, J. F. Zhou, Y. X. Zhu, Y. Zhu, R. L. Zhuang

Published 2020-04-28Version 1

We use the In data collected during the 2019 outburst from X-ray pulsar 4U 1901+03 to complement the orbital parameters reported by Fermi/GBM. Using the Insight-HXMT, we examine the correlation between the derivative of the intrinsic spin frequency and bolometric flux based on accretion torque models. It was found that the pulse profiles significantly evolve during the outburst. The existence of two types of the profile's pattern discovered in the Insight-HXMT data indicates that this source experienced transition between a super-critical and a sub-critical accretion regime during its 2019 outburst. Based on the evolution of the pulse profiles and the torque model, we derive the distance to 4U 1901+03 as 12.4+-0.2 kpc.