Interaction of the accretion disk with the rotating stellar magnetic field: Plasma diffusion and angular momentum transfer across the Alfven surface
Starting with a general consideration for the force-balance condition between the accretion disk and the rotating stellar magnetic field, we investigate the plasma diffusion and angular momentum transfer across the Alfven surface. The accreting plasma penetrates into the boundary layer through the diffusion process caused by the anomalous electric resistivity, which in turn results from the magnetic field fluctuations created in the accretion disk. We thereby provide a formalism by which the position of the Alfven surface and the thickness of the boundary layer are explicitly determined. We apply those calculations to the accretion model of the X-ray pulsars and in particular compare the theoretical results on the spin-up rate with the observational data. In addition to reproducing the well-known agreement on the slow pulsars, we point to a way in which the spin-up characteristics of Her X-1 may be quantitatively explained.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Physics, University of Tokyo
- OSTI ID:
- 6658773
- Journal Information:
- Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 224:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEUTRON STARS
ROTATION
STAR ACCRETION
STAR MODELS
PULSARS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BINARY STARS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
DIFFUSION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
MOTION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
640103* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources- (-1987)