The deceleration of infalling plasma in magnetized neutron star atmospheres - Nonisothermal atmospheres

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168020· OSTI ID:7164299

Miller, G; Wasserman, I; Salpeter, E E ^[1]

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1. Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA) Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA)

This paper examines the deceleration of accreting material in the strongly magnetized plasma atmosphere of an X-ray pulsar, for accretion rates less than 0.1 times the Eddington flux. The previous work on accretion, flow deceleration is extended to nonisothermal atmospheres. A rough model of radiative processes in neutron star atmospheres bombarded by accreting material is used to calculate the atmosphere's temperature and density profiles. The atmospheric structure and the accretion flow stopping depth are computed iteratively. For cases where the infall velocity is close to the free-fall velocity, a simple prescription for an equivalent single temperature, T(iso), is given. It is found that the plasma deceleration is close to stopping in a homogeneous, isothermal atmosphere at T(iso). Exceptions to this result occur for small infall velocities. 22 refs.

• OSTI ID: 7164299
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 346; 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
ATMOSPHERES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
DYNAMICS
MAGNETIC STARS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
NEUTRON STARS
PLASMA
PULSARS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
STAR ACCRETION
STAR EVOLUTION
STAR MODELS
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES