Globular cluster origin of x-ray bursters

Journal Article · Sat May 26 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.34534· OSTI ID:6337761

Grindlay, J E

X-ray bursters and galactic bulge x-ray sources, or the most luminous x-ray sources in the galaxy, are reasonably well constrained in their basic nature but not in their origin. We have suggested they may all have been produced by tidal capture in high density cores of globular clusters, which have now largely been disrupted by tidal stripping and shocking in the galactic plane. General arguments are presented for cluster disruption by the possible ring of giant molecular clouds in the Galaxy. Tests of the cluster disruption hypothesis are in progress and preliminary results are summarized here. The G-K star ''companions'' previously noted for at least 4 bursters have spectra (in the two cases observed) consistent with metal rich cluster giants. Several possibilities are discussed, including the formation of hierarchical triples of the dissolving cluster or in the galactic plane.

• Research Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
• OSTI ID: 6337761
• Journal Information: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States), Journal Name: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States) Vol. 115:1; ISSN APCPC
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY BURSTS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ORIGIN
STAR CLUSTERS