scholarly journals Atmospheric oscillations provide simultaneous measurement of neutron star mass and radius

2019 ◽  
Vol 487 (4) ◽  
pp. 5129-5142 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Bollimpalli ◽  
M Wielgus ◽  
D Abarca ◽  
W Kluźniak

ABSTRACT Neutron stars with near-Eddington observable luminosities were shown to harbour levitating atmospheres, suspended above their surfaces. We report a new method to simultaneously measure the mass and radius of a neutron star based on oscillations of such atmospheres. In this paper, we present an analytic derivation of a family of relativistic, oscillatory, spherically symmetric eigenmodes of the optically and geometrically thin levitating atmospheres, including the damping effects induced by the radiation drag. We discover characteristic maxima in the frequencies of the damped oscillations and show that from a measurement of the frequency maximum and of the luminosity one can determine the mass and radius of the neutron star. In addition to the stellar parameters, observation of the variation of the oscillation frequencies with flux would allow us to estimate the stellar luminosity and therefore the distance to the source with an accuracy of a few per cent. We also show that the ratio of any two undamped eigenfrequencies depends only on the adiabatic index of the atmosphere, while for the damped eigenfrequencies, this ratio varies with the luminosity. The damping coefficient is independent of the mode number of the oscillations. Signatures of the dynamics of such atmospheres will be reflected in the source’s X-ray light curves.

1987 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 233-243
Author(s):  
H. Inoue

The maximum peak luminosity of the X-ray bursts from a burster is most likely interpreted as the Eddington luminosity of a helium-rich envelope surrounding a neutron star. If this interpretation is true, we can obtain a relation between the mass and the radius of the neutron star in terms of the maximum effective temperature of bursts. On the other hand, the most naive understanding of the origin of the 4.1 keV absorption line often detected in X-ray burst spectra gives us another relation of the neutron star mass with its radius. By solving two simultaneous equations, we can determine the values of the mass and the radius of the neutron star, respectively. However, the result is critical to every neutron star model currently considered.The persistent emissions from X-ray bursters are also discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2033-2037
Author(s):  
C. M. ZHANG ◽  
Y. Y. PAN ◽  
Y. H. ZHAO ◽  
Y. CAI ◽  
J. WANG ◽  
...  

Twin kHz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) have been found in the emission spectra of about thirty X-ray neuron star systems, where the upper ones of twin QPOs are often interpreted as the Keplerian frequencies of the accreting matter orbiting around the central stars. The observations of the kHz QPOs can be used to constrain the masses of neutron stars (NSs), and in particular to imply the properties of the matters at nuclear densities. By the way, we discuss the preferences of some kHz QPO models that constrain the NS parameters.


2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (1) ◽  
pp. L72-L78
Author(s):  
K Mohamed ◽  
E Sonbas ◽  
K S Dhuga ◽  
E Göğüş ◽  
A Tuncer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Similar to black hole X-ray binary transients, hysteresis-like state transitions are also seen in some neutron-star X-ray binaries. Using a method based on wavelets and light curves constructed from archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations, we extract a minimal timescale over the complete range of transitions for 4U 1608-52 during the 2002 and 2007 outbursts and the 1999 and 2000 outbursts for Aql X-1. We present evidence for a strong positive correlation between this minimal timescale and a similar timescale extracted from the corresponding power spectra of these sources.


2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-178
Author(s):  
Chen Li ◽  
Guobao Zhang ◽  
Mariano Méndez ◽  
Jiancheng Wang ◽  
Ming Lyu

ABSTRACT We have found and analysed 16 multipeaked type-I bursts from the neutron-star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636 − 53 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). One of the bursts is a rare quadruple-peaked burst that was not previously reported. All 16 bursts show a multipeaked structure not only in the X-ray light curves but also in the bolometric light curves. Most of the multipeaked bursts appear in observations during the transition from the hard to the soft state in the colour–colour diagram. We find an anticorrelation between the second peak flux and the separation time between two peaks. We also find that in the double-peaked bursts the peak-flux ratio and the temperature of the thermal component in the pre-burst spectra are correlated. This indicates that the double-peaked structure in the light curve of the bursts may be affected by enhanced accretion rate in the disc, or increased temperature of the neutron star.


2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (05) ◽  
pp. 825-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. TAGIEVA ◽  
E. YAZGAN ◽  
A. ANKAY

We examined the fall-back disk models, and in general accretion, proposed to explain the properties of AXPs and SGRs. We checked the possibility of some gas remaining around the neutron star after a supernova explosion. We also compared AXPs and SGRs with the X-ray pulsars in X-ray binaries. We conclude that the existing models of accretion from a fall-back disk are insufficient to explain the nature of AXPs and SGRs.


1971 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 394-406
Author(s):  
F. Pacini

The Crab Nebula pulsar conforms to the model of a rotating magnetised neutron star in the rate of energy generation and the exponent of the rotation law.It is suggested that the main pulse is due to electrons and the precursor to protons. Both must radiate in coherent bunches. Optical and X-ray radiation is by the synchrotron process.The wisps observed in the Nebula may represent the release of an instability storing about 1043 erg and 1047–48 particles.Finally, some considerations are made about the general relation between supernova remnants and rotating neutron stars.


1990 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 89-110
Author(s):  
H. V. Bradt ◽  
A. M. Levine ◽  
E. H. Morgan ◽  
R. A. Remillard ◽  
J. H. Swank ◽  
...  

AbstractThe capabilities of the X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) are described with particular attention paid to current scientific problems it will address from galactic neutron star systems to active galactic nuclei. It features a low-background continuous 2-200 keV response with large apertures (a 0.63-m2 proportional counter array and a 0.16-m2 dual rocking NaI/CsI scintillation array). Rapid response (in hours) to temporal phenomena, e.g. transients, is obtained by virtue of a scanning all-sky monitor and rapid maneuverability. XTE will carry out detailed energy-resolved studies of phenomena close to neutron stars (e.g. QPO’s) because of its sub-millisecond timing (to 10 μs), its high telemetry rates (to 256 kb/s), and the high throughput of its data system (to ≳ 2 × 105 c s−1).


2000 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 49-60
Author(s):  
W. Becker

Recent X-ray observatories such as ROSAT, ASCA, RXTE, BeppoSAX, and Chandra have achieved important progress in neutron star and pulsar astronomy. The identification of Geminga as a rotation-powered pulsar, the discovery of X-ray emission from millisecond pulsars, and the identification of cooling neutron stars are only a few of the fascinating results. In the following, I will give a brief review on the X-ray emission properties of rotation-powered pulsars and their wind nebulae.


2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (2) ◽  
pp. 2228-2240 ◽  
Author(s):  
A J Goodwin ◽  
D K Galloway ◽  
A Heger ◽  
A Cumming ◽  
Z Johnston

ABSTRACT We present a new method of matching observations of Type-I (thermonuclear) X-ray bursts with models, comparing the predictions of a semi-analytic ignition model with X-ray observations of the accretion-powered millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4–3658 in outburst. We used a Bayesian analysis approach to marginalize over the parameters of interest and determine parameters such as fuel composition, distance/anisotropy factors, neutron star mass, and neutron star radius. Our study includes a treatment of the system inclination effects, inferring that the rotation axis of the system is inclined $\left(69^{+4}_{-2}\right)^\circ$ from the observers line of sight, assuming a flat disc model. This method can be applied to any accreting source that exhibits Type-I X-ray bursts. We find a hydrogen mass fraction of $0.57^{+0.13}_{-0.14}$ and CNO metallicity of $0.013^{+0.006}_{-0.004}$ for the accreted fuel is required by the model to match the observed burst energies, for a distance to the source of $3.3^{+0.3}_{-0.2}\, \mathrm{kpc}$. We infer a neutron star mass of $1.5^{+0.6}_{-0.3}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ and radius of $11.8^{+1.3}_{-0.9}\, \mathrm{km}$ for a surface gravity of $1.9^{+0.7}_{-0.4}\times 10^{14}\, \mathrm{cm}\, \mathrm{s}^{-2}$ for SAX J1808.4–3658.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 2041015
Author(s):  
John L. Friedman ◽  
Nikolaos Stergioulas

The first inspiral of two neutron stars observed in gravitational waves was remarkably close, allowing the kind of simultaneous gravitational wave and electromagnetic observation that had not been expected for several years. Their merger, followed by a gamma-ray burst and a kilonova, was observed across the spectral bands of electromagnetic telescopes. These GW and electromagnetic observations have led to dramatic advances in understanding short gamma-ray bursts; determining the origin of the heaviest elements; and determining the maximum mass of neutron stars. From the imprint of tides on the gravitational waveforms and from observations of X-ray binaries, one can extract the radius and deformability of inspiraling neutron stars. Together, the radius, maximum mass, and causality constrain the neutron-star equation of state, and future constraints can come from observations of post-merger oscillations. We selectively review these results, filling in some of the physics with derivations and estimates.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document