Electron-positron heating and the eclipsing millisecond pulsar PSR 1957 + 20

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168906· OSTI ID:6863956

Krolik, J H; Sincell, M W ^[1]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (USA)

The companion in the eclipsing millisecond PSR 1957 + 20 appears to be strongly heated by the pulsar and may also be rapidly losing mass due to that heating. A new mechanism is presented by which the heating may be accomplished: diffusion of mildly relativistic electron-positron pairs from the pulsar's relativistic wind through a thermal wind issuing from the companion. Wave-particle scattering regulates the depth at which the pairs deposit their energy; requirements of self-consistency place bounds on the wave spectrum and pair distribution function. If the pairs carry over about 10 percent of the pulsar spin-down luminosity, and the companion's heavy element abundance is subsolar, the heating rate can be adequate to drive a wind with sufficient momentum flux to explain the eclipse geometry. Annihilation photons then heat the companion beneath its photosphere and supply a significant part of the power for the optical luminosity. This model also suggests that the eclipse duration decreases sharply above a critical photon frequency. 39 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6863956
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 357; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• 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
BINARY STARS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ECLIPSE
ELECTRON PAIRS
ENERGY RANGE
HEATING
INTERACTIONS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOTION
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PULSARS
PULSES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
ROCHE EQUIPOTENTIALS
ROTATION
SCATTERING
STAR MODELS
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS