Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-Ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility of Constraining rp-process Reaction Rates
Abstract
Type-I X-ray burst light curves encode unique information about the structure of accreting neutron stars and the nuclear reaction rates of the rp-process that powers bursts. Using the first model calculations of hydrogen/helium-burning bursts for a large range of astrophysical conditions performed with the code MESA, this work shows that simultaneous model–observation comparisons for bursts from several accretion rates $$\dot{M}$$ are required to remove degeneracies in astrophysical conditions that otherwise reproduce bursts for a single $$\dot{M}$$ and that such consistent multi-epoch modeling could possibly limit the 15O(α, γ)19Ne reaction rate. Comparisons to the 1998, 2000, and 2007 bursting epochs of the neutron star GS 1826-24 show that $$\dot{M}$$ must be larger than previously inferred and that the shallow heating in this source must be below 0.5 MeV/u, providing a new method to constrain the shallow heating mechanism in the outer layers of accreting neutron stars. Lastly, features of the light curve rise are used to demonstrate that a lower limit could likely be placed on the 15O(α, γ) reaction rate, demonstrating the possibility of constraining nuclear reaction rates with X-ray burst light curves.
- Authors:
-
- Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States). Inst. of Nuclear & Particle Physics, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Contributing Org.:
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1455420
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-88ER40387; PHY-1430152
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- The Astrophysical Journal (Online)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: The Astrophysical Journal (Online); Journal Volume: 860; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357
- Publisher:
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; nuclear reactions; nucleosynthesis; abundances – stars: neutron – X-rays: bursts
Citation Formats
Meisel, Zach. Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-Ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility of Constraining rp-process Reaction Rates. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aac3d3.
Meisel, Zach. Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-Ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility of Constraining rp-process Reaction Rates. United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac3d3
Meisel, Zach. Thu .
"Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-Ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility of Constraining rp-process Reaction Rates". United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac3d3. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1455420.
@article{osti_1455420,
title = {Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-Ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility of Constraining rp-process Reaction Rates},
author = {Meisel, Zach},
abstractNote = {Type-I X-ray burst light curves encode unique information about the structure of accreting neutron stars and the nuclear reaction rates of the rp-process that powers bursts. Using the first model calculations of hydrogen/helium-burning bursts for a large range of astrophysical conditions performed with the code MESA, this work shows that simultaneous model–observation comparisons for bursts from several accretion rates $\dot{M}$ are required to remove degeneracies in astrophysical conditions that otherwise reproduce bursts for a single $\dot{M}$ and that such consistent multi-epoch modeling could possibly limit the 15O(α, γ)19Ne reaction rate. Comparisons to the 1998, 2000, and 2007 bursting epochs of the neutron star GS 1826-24 show that $\dot{M}$ must be larger than previously inferred and that the shallow heating in this source must be below 0.5 MeV/u, providing a new method to constrain the shallow heating mechanism in the outer layers of accreting neutron stars. Lastly, features of the light curve rise are used to demonstrate that a lower limit could likely be placed on the 15O(α, γ) reaction rate, demonstrating the possibility of constraining nuclear reaction rates with X-ray burst light curves.},
doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/aac3d3},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal (Online)},
number = 2,
volume = 860,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Thu Jun 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
Web of Science
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