Can X-ray bursts be caused by substorms at a neutron star

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/156633· OSTI ID:6508289

Neugebauer, M; Tsurutani, B T

A model for X-ray bursts from accreting neutron stars is developed by analogy with geomagnetic substorms. The essential steps in the substorm process are the nearly steady merging or reconnection of the magnetic field in the magnetosphere with the field in the stellar wind, the transport of some of the merged plasma into a magnetically controlled tail, and the explosive release of plasma from the tail into the magnetosphere. The strength of the magnetic field in the stellar wind required to drive a substorm is approximately 10/sup -1/ gauss. If the stellar wind is organized into large-scale magnetic sectors, as is the solar wind, topological dissipation will not occur, and the large-scale field will be available for merging at the magnetopause. Once the material is in the tail, the time scales for the Kruskal-Schwarzschild instability and the unidentified instability which drives terrestrial substorms may be comparable. Alternating periods of burst activity and quiescence could be caused by passage from one sector to another with opposite polarity, or by seasonal variations.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
• OSTI ID: 6508289
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 226:2; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
BINARY STARS
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOTION
NEUTRON STARS
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
ROTATION
STAR ACCRETION
STAR EVOLUTION
STAR MODELS
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR MAGNETOSPHERES
STELLAR WINDS
X RADIATION