A spectral-timing analysis of the kHz QPOs in 4U 1636-53: the frequency-energy resolved RMS spectrum

Our understanding of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO) has been further advanced in the last few years by the use of combined spectral and timing techniques, and it is now clear that QPO properties are closely related to the spectral state of the source in which they appear. In this work we used all the available RXTE observations of the neutron-star low-mass X-ray binary 4U~1636-53 to study the properties of the kilohertz QPO as a function of energy and frequency. By following the frequency evolution of the kHz QPOs we created frequency-resolved fractional RMS spectra. We also studied the connection between the frequency of the kHz QPOs and the parameters of the model that fits the X-ray energy spectrum. We show the dependence of the QPO properties in a multi-parameter space, and we discuss the implication of our results to the mechanism that produces the QPOs. Our results provide input to the next generation of spectral-timing models, which will help us understand the variability and the environment around the neutron star in these systems.