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arXiv 0705.0155astro-ph
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低质量X射线双星系统中的吸积中子星

Accreting Neutron Stars in Low-Mass X-Ray Binary Systems

Frederick K. Lamb, Stratos Boutloukos

摘要:

利用罗西X射线定时探测器(RossiXTE),天文学家发现具有弱磁场的吸积盘中子星产生三种不同类型的高频X射线振荡。这些振荡是由落入恒星强引力场的物质释放束缚能或积累在恒星最外层的物质突然核燃烧提供动力的。振荡的频率反映了恒星引力场深处气体的轨道频率和/或恒星的自旋频率。因此,这些振荡可以用来探索基础物理学,如强场引力和极端条件下的物质性质,以及重要的天体物理学问题,如毫秒双星的形成和演化。利用RossiXTE进行的观测表明,在低质量X射线双星系统中,大约有24颗中子星具有在吸积停止时成为毫秒射电辐射双星所需的自旋速率和磁场,但很少有自旋速率超过600赫兹。这些恒星的性质表明,自旋速率低于600赫兹的部分原因是吸积力矩的磁制动分量,以及在这样的系统中可以吸积的角动量有限。进一步的研究将表明引力辐射制动是否也是一个因素。对千赫兹振荡的分析首次提供了强场广义相对论预言的围绕致密相对论恒星的最内层稳定圆形轨道存在的证据。它也大大缩小了对超致密物质的可能描述。

英文摘要:

Using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RossiXTE), astronomers have discovered that disk-accreting neutron stars with weak magnetic fields produce three distinct types of high-frequency X-ray oscillations. These oscillations are powered by release of the binding energy of matter falling into the strong gravitational field of the star or by the sudden nuclear burning of matter that has accumulated in the outermost layers of the star. The frequencies of the oscillations reflect the orbital frequencies of gas deep in the gravitational field of the star and/or the spin frequency of the star. These oscillations can therefore be used to explore fundamental physics, such as strong-field gravity and the properties of matter under extreme conditions, and important astrophysical questions, such as the formation and evolution of millisecond pulsars. Observations using RossiXTE have shown that some two dozen neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binary systems have the spin rates and magnetic fields required to become millisecond radio-emitting pulsars when accretion ceases, but that few have spin rates above about 600 Hz. The properties of these stars show that the paucity of spin rates greater than 600 Hz is due in part to the magnetic braking component of the accretion torque and to the limited amount of angular momentum that can be accreted in such systems. Further study will show whether braking by gravitational radiation is also a factor. Analysis of the kilohertz oscillations has provided the first evidence for the existence of the innermost stable circular orbit around dense relativistic stars that is predicted by strong-field general relativity. It has also greatly narrowed the possible descriptions of ultradense matter.

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