Abstract:
We present the first X-ray polarization measurement of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary and Z-source,
GX 340+0, in the normal branch (NB) using a 200 ks observation with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetric Explorer
(IXPE). This observation was performed in 2024 August. Along with IXPE, we also conducted simultaneous
observations with NICER, AstroSat, Insight-HXMT, the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), and the
Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) to investigate the broadband spectral and timing properties in
the X-ray and radio wavelengths. During the campaign, the source traced a complete Z-track during the IXPE observation but spent most of the time in the NB. We measure X-ray polarization degree (PD) of 1.3% ± 0.3% in the 2–8 keV energy band with a polarization angle (PA) of 38° ± 6°. The PD in the NB is observed to be weaker than in the horizontal branch (HB) but aligned in the same direction. The PD of the source exhibits a marginal increase with energy, while the PA shows no energy dependence. The joint spectropolarimetric modeling is consistent with the observed X-ray polarization originating from a single spectral component from the blackbody, the Comptonized emission, or reflection feature, while the disk emission does not contribute toward the X-ray polarization. GMRT observations at 1.26 GHz during HB had a tentative detection at 4.5 ± 0.7 mJy, while ATCA observations a day later during the NB detected the source at 0.70 ± 0.05 mJy and 0.59 ± 0.05 mJy in the 5.5 and 9 GHz bands, respectively, suggesting an evolving jet structure depending on the Z-track position.
