MEASURING A TRUNCATED DISK IN AQUILA X-1

Abstract

We present NuSTAR and Swift observations of the neutron star Aquila X-1 during the peak of its 2014 July outburst. The spectrum is soft with strong evidence for a broad Fe Kα line. Modeled with a relativistically broadened reflection model, we find that the inner disk is truncated with an inner radius of 15 ± 3R[subscript G]. The disk is likely truncated by either the boundary layer and/or a magnetic field. Associating the truncated inner disk with pressure from a magnetic field gives an upper limit of B < 5 ± x 2 x 10[superscript 8]. Although the radius is truncated far from the stellar surface, material is still reaching the neutron star surface as evidenced by the X-ray burst present in the NuSTAR observation.