Two-temperature accretion disk model for Cygnus X-1: Structure and spectrum
We present a model for Cygnus X-1, involving an accretion disk around a black hole, which can explain the observed X-ray spectrum from 8 to 500 keV. In particular we construct a detailed model of the structure of an accretion disk whose inner region is considerably hotter and geometrically thicker than previous disk models. The inner region of the disk is optically thin to absorption, is gas-pressure dominated, and yields, from first principles, electron temperatures of 10/sup 9/ K and ion temperatures 3--300 times hotter. The spectrum above 8 keV is produced by inverse Compton scattering of soft X-ray photons in the two-temperature inner region of the disk. This spectrum is computed by numerical integration of the Kompane'ets equation, modified to account for escape of photons from a region of finite (order unity) electron scattering optical depth. (AIP)
- Research Organization:
- Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University
- OSTI ID:
- 7285849
- Journal Information:
- Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 204:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
BLACK HOLES
STAR ACCRETION
STAR MODELS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
X-RAY SPECTRA
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC GASES
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ION TEMPERATURE
PHOTONS
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
SCATTERING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
INTERACTIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SPECTRA
STAR EVOLUTION
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640103 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources- (-1987)