Deciphering accretion from a slow wind\: the case of HXMB GX 301-2

We propose a 70 ks XMMNewton observation with simultaneous NuSTAR coverage ofthe HMXB GX 3012 at phi 0.50.7 at apastron of the highly eccentric orbitwhen the wind of the companion is less disturbed by tidal interaction with theneutron star and the source is bright enough to enable studies of shorttermabsorption variability. This will only be the second XMMNewton observation ofGX 3012 and the first outside of the preperiastron flare. It will allow us tostudy the structure of the dense, slow wind of the B1 Ia+ companion, Wray 997,and to probe wind accretion in such an extreme environment. We will additionallyilluminate the properties of the accretion columns through pulsephase resolvedspectroscopy and through variability studies of the cyclotron lines. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]