AN ULTRA-LOW-MASS AND SMALL-RADIUS COMPACT OBJECT IN 4U 1746-37?

Photospheric radius expansion (PRE) bursts have already been used to constrain the masses and radii of neutron stars. RXTE observed three PRE bursts in 4U 1746-37, all with low touchdown fluxes. We discuss here the possibility of a low-mass neutron star in 4U 1746-37 because the Eddington luminosity depends on stellar mass. With typical values of hydrogen mass fraction and color correction factor, a Monte Carlo simulation was applied to constrain the mass and radius of a neutron star in 4U 1746-37.4U 1746-37 has a high inclination angle. Two geometric effects, the reflection of the far-side accretion disk and the obscuration of the near-side accretion disk, have also been included in the mass and radius constraints of 4U 1746-37. If the reflection of the far-side accretion disk is accounted for, a low-mass compact object (mass of 0.41 + or - 0.14 M sub([middot in circle]) and radius of 8.73 + or - 1.54 km at 68% confidence) exists in 4U 1746-37. If another effect operated, 4U 1746-37 may contain an ultra-low-mass and small-radius object (M = 0.21 + or - 0.06 M sub([middot in circle]), R = 6.26 + or - 0.99 km at 68% confidence). Combining all possibilities, the mass of 4U 1746-37 is (ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) M sub([middot in circle]) at 99.7% confidence. For such low-mass neutron stars, it could be reproduced by a self-bound compact star, i.e., a quark star or quark-cluster star.