Exploring polarization and geometry in the X-ray pulsar 4U 1538−52

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observations of accreting X-ray pulsars (XRPs) continue to provide novel insights into the physics and geometry of these sources. We present the first X-ray polarimetric study of the persistent wind-fed XRP 4U 1538−52, based on five IXPE observations totaling 360 ks, conducted in March and October 2024. We detect marginally significant polarization in the combined data set in the full 2–8 keV energy band, with a polarization degree (PD) of 3.0 ± 1.1% and polarization angle (PA) of −18° ±11°. The energy-resolved analysis shows a clear energy dependence of the polarization properties, with a remarkable ∼70° switch in PA between low and high energies. Similarly, the pulse phase-resolved spectro-polarimetric analysis reveals different signatures at low and high energies. At low energies (2–3 keV), the PD spans from ∼2% up to ∼18%, accompanied by large-amplitude swings in the PA. At higher energies (4–8 keV), the PD varies between ∼3% and ∼12%, and the PA not only is similarly highly variable but also exhibits a markedly different phase dependence. Fitting the rotating vector model to the pulse phase dependence of the PA at the lower energies, we constrain the geometric configuration of the pulsar. The analysis favors a high spin-axis inclination of > 50°, which agrees with both previous pulse-phase-dependent spectral fitting of the cyclotron line region and the known high orbital inclination of the binary system. The magnetic obliquity is estimated to be 30° and the spin position angle to be 19°. A sharp switch in PA around 3 keV presents a particular theoretical challenge, as it is not consistent with the right-angle switch that was only seen in one other pulsar, Vela X-1.