Models for compact pulsing x-ray sources

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · Int. Astron. Union Symp., no. 55, pp. 143-154

OSTI ID:4409247

Ostriker, J P; Davidson, K

From symposium X - and gamma -ray astronomy; Madrid, Spain (11 May 1972). See CONF-720599-. Cen X-3 is probably a neutron star, releasing the infall energy of accreted matter. Sufficient material for accretion will be provided by a conventional stellar wind from its more massive companion star. That star is not likely to rotate synchronously; therefore a Roche lobe'' analysis of the eclipses is not valid. A tidal lobe'' analysis allows the neutron star to have a mass of the order of one solar mass. Overflow of the Roche lobe'' is neither necessary as a source of mass nor probable in view of the observed stellar line widths of the two identified x-ray companions. The mass flow onto the condensed star is very small in all cases. It is limited, for an object of m solar masses by the Eddington limiting luminosity to M/sub ac/ < 10/ sup -7.4/ m(M/sub sub solar / yr /sup 1/), which limit applies even if the accreting object contacts or traverses its companion star. The observed 4.84 s rotation period of the Cen X-3 neutron star is very simply explained as the critical value where a centrifugal barrier regulates the rate of infall to the surface. The x-ray spectrum is understood as blackbody radiation coming from a well-defined area near each magnetic pole of the neutron star. (auth)

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ. Observatory, NJ
• NSA Number: NSA-29-008498
• OSTI ID: 4409247
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Int. Astron. Union Symp., no. 55, pp. 143-154
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES-- BINARY STARS
*NEUTRON STARS-- STAR ACCRETION
LUMINOSITY
MASS
N56300* --Physics (Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology)--Quasi-stellar
Radio &amp; X-Ray Sources
ROTATION
STELLAR WINDS