The Magnetospheres of (Accreting) Neutron Stars Observational Clues
نویسنده
چکیده
I give an overview of the most important observational tools to study the magnetospheres of accreting neutron stars, with a focus on accreting neutron stars in high mass X-ray binary systems. Topics covered are the different types of accretion onto neutron stars and the structure of the accretion column, and how models for these can be tested with observations.
منابع مشابه
Physics of Strongly Magnetized Neutron Stars
There has recently been growing evidence for the existence of neutron stars possessing magnetic fields with strengths that exceed the quantum critical field strength of 4.4× 10 G, at which the cyclotron energy equals the electron rest mass. Such evidence has been provided by new discoveries of radio pulsars having very high spin-down rates and by observations of bursting gamma-ray sources terme...
متن کاملX-ray aurora in neutron star magnetospheres
The discovery of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) has been reported and discussed in recent studies in theoretical and observational astrophysics. The Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer has observed oscillations in the X-ray flux of about 20 accreting neutron stars. These oscillations are very strong and remarkably coherent. Their frequencies range from ∼ 10 Hz to ...
متن کاملNeutrinos from Accreting Neutron Stars
The magnetospheres of accreting neutron stars develop electrostatic gaps with huge potential drops. Protons and ions, accelerated in these gaps along the dipolar magnetic field lines to energies greater than 100 TeV, can impact onto a surrounding accretion disc. A proton-induced cascade so develops, and ν-emission is produced from charged pion decays. Using GEANT4, a computer code that tracks p...
متن کاملA possible link between kHz quasi-periodic oscillations and the magnetospheric boundary
The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed with a 200-1300 Hz frequency range in the X-ray power spectra of low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) might be considered as one of the observational clues to the physics at the innermost regions of accretion disks around neutron stars. In a neutron star LMXB, the magnetospheric boundary is likely to be close to the surface of the neutron star because ...
متن کاملOn the number of accreting and cooling isolated neutron stars detectable with the ROSAT All-Sky Survey
We present limits to the log N − log S curve for isolated neutron stars, both cooling and accreting neutron stars, which are not active as radio pulsars, as observed with the ROSAT All-Sky Survey and compare it with theoretical expectations. So far, only one isolated neutron star is identified optically among ROSAT sources, namely RXJ185635-3754 (Walter & Matthews 1997). Three more promising ca...
متن کامل