Abstract
We report the discovery of radio emission from the accreting X-ray pulsar and
symbiotic X-ray binary GX 1+4 with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. This is
the first radio detection of such a system, wherein a strongly magnetized
neutron star accretes from the stellar wind of an M-type giant companion. We
measure a \$9\$ GHz radio flux density of \$105.3 7.3\$ \$\mu\$Jy, but cannot
place meaningful constraints on the spectral index due to a limited frequency
range. We consider several emission mechanisms that could be responsible for
the observed radio source. We conclude that the observed properties are
consistent with shocks in the interaction of the accretion flow with the
magnetosphere, a synchrotron-emitting jet, or a propeller-driven outflow. The
stellar wind from the companion is unlikely to be the origin of the radio
emission. If the detected radio emission originates from a jet, it would show
that that strong magnetic fields (\$10^12\$ G) do not necessarily suppress
jet formation.
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