37 research outputs found
Unique White Dwarfs Accompanying Recycled Pulsars
I introduce the two classes of pulsar, white-dwarf binaries, and describe for
each what we have learned from a specific system, PSR J1012+5307 and PSR
B0655+64, respectively, summarising what has been done, presenting new results,
and discussing what the future may hold. Briefly, for the companion of PSR
J1012+5307 we find a DA spectrum, and infer a mass of about 0.16Msun, the
lowest among all spectroscopically identified white dwarfs. Combined with a
radial-velocity orbit, a neutron-star mass between 1.5 and 3.2Msun (95% conf.)
is derived. The companion of PSR B0655+64 shows strong Swan C2 bands, i.e., it
is a DQ star. Unlike anything reported for other DQs, however, it shows
variations in strength of the bands by a factor two. Most likely, the
variations are periodic, with a period of about 9.7h. This is substantially
shorter than the 1-day orbital period, which can likely be understood in terms
of its past evolution.Comment: 6 pages of text and 2 figures, LaTeX using crckapb.sty (included) and
psfig.sty. To appear in Proc. 10th European Workshop on white dwarfs (Eds.
Isern, Hernanz, & Garcia-Berro
High-mass X-ray binaries and OB-runaway stars
High-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) represent an important phase in the
evolution of massive binary systems. HMXBs provide unique diagnostics to test
massive-star evolution, to probe the physics of radiation-driven winds, to
study the process of mass accretion, and to measure fundamental parameters of
compact objects. As a consequence of the supernova explosion that produced the
neutron star (or black hole) in these systems, HMXBs have high space velocities
and thus are runaways. Alternatively, OB-runaway stars can be ejected from a
cluster through dynamical interactions. Observations obtained with the
Hipparcos satellite indicate that both scenarios are at work. Only for a
minority of the OB runaways (and HMXBs) a wind bow shock has been detected.
This might be explained by the varying local conditions of the interstellar
medium.Comment: 15 pages, latex (sty file included) with 5 embedded figures (one in
jpg format), to appear in Proc. "Influence of binaries on stellar population
studies", Eds. Vanbeveren, Van Rensberge
The two-hour orbit of a binary millisecond X-ray pulsar
Typical radio pulsars are magnetized neutron stars that are born rapidly
rotating and slow down as they age on time scales of 10 to 100 million years.
However, millisecond radio pulsars spin very rapidly even though many are
billions of years old. The most compelling explanation is that they have been
"spun up" by the transfer of angular momentum during accretion of material from
a companion star in so-called low-mass X-ray binary systems, LMXBs. (LMXBs
consist of a neutron star or black hole accreting from a companion less than
one solar mass.) The recent detection of coherent X-ray pulsations with a
millisecond period from a suspected LMXB system appears to confirm this link.
Here we report observations showing that the orbital period of this binary
system is two hours, which establishes it as an LMXB. We also find an apparent
modulation of the X-ray flux at the orbital period (at the two per cent level),
with a broad minimum when the pulsar is behind this low-mass companion star.
This system seems closely related to the "black widow" millisecond radio
pulsars, which are evaporating their companions through irradiation. It may
appear as an eclipsing radio pulsar during periods of X-ray quiescence.Comment: 4 pages with 1 figure. Style files included. Fig. 2 deleted and text
revised. To appear in Nature. Press embargo until 18:00 GMT on 1998 July 2
Dense Matter in Compact Stars: Theoretical Developments and Observational Constraints
We review theoretical developments in studies of dense matter and its phase
structure of relevance to compact stars. Observational data on compact stars,
which can constrain the properties of dense matter, are presented critically
and interpreted.Comment: Annu. Rev. Nucl. & Part. Sci. in press. 51 pages, 17 figure
A variable absorption feature in the X-ray spectrum of a magnetar
Soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are slowly
rotating, isolated neutron stars that sporadically undergo episodes of
long-term flux enhancement (outbursts) generally accompanied by the emission of
short bursts of hard X-rays. This behaviour can be understood in the magnetar
model, according to which these sources are mainly powered by their own
magnetic energy. This is supported by the fact that the magnetic fields
inferred from several observed properties of AXPs and SGRs are greater than -
or at the high end of the range of - those of radio pulsars. In the peculiar
case of SGR 0418+5729, a weak dipole magnetic moment is derived from its timing
parameters, whereas a strong field has been proposed to reside in the stellar
interior and in multipole components on the surface. Here we show that the
X-ray spectrum of SGR 0418+5729 has an absorption line, the properties of which
depend strongly on the star's rotational phase. This line is interpreted as a
proton cyclotron feature and its energy implies a magnetic field ranging from
2E14 gauss to more than 1E15 gauss.Comment: Nature, 500, 312 (including Supplementary Information
X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars
X-ray emission is a common feature of all varieties of isolated neutron stars
(INS) and, thanks to the advent of sensitive instruments with good
spectroscopic, timing, and imaging capabilities, X-ray observations have become
an essential tool in the study of these objects. Non-thermal X-rays from young,
energetic radio pulsars have been detected since the beginning of X-ray
astronomy, and the long-sought thermal emission from cooling neutron star's
surfaces can now be studied in detail in many pulsars spanning different ages,
magnetic fields, and, possibly, surface compositions. In addition, other
different manifestations of INS have been discovered with X-ray observations.
These new classes of high-energy sources, comprising the nearby X-ray Dim
Isolated Neutron Stars, the Central Compact Objects in supernova remnants, the
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars, and the Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters, now add up to
several tens of confirmed members, plus many candidates, and allow us to study
a variety of phenomena unobservable in "standard'' radio pulsars.Comment: Chapter to be published in the book of proceedings of the 1st Sant
Cugat Forum on Astrophysics, "ICREA Workshop on the high-energy emission from
pulsars and their systems", held in April, 201
Supernova Remnants as Clues to Their Progenitors
Supernovae shape the interstellar medium, chemically enrich their host
galaxies, and generate powerful interstellar shocks that drive future
generations of star formation. The shock produced by a supernova event acts as
a type of time machine, probing the mass loss history of the progenitor system
back to ages of 10 000 years before the explosion, whereas supernova
remnants probe a much earlier stage of stellar evolution, interacting with
material expelled during the progenitor's much earlier evolution. In this
chapter we will review how observations of supernova remnants allow us to infer
fundamental properties of the progenitor system. We will provide detailed
examples of how bulk characteristics of a remnant, such as its chemical
composition and dynamics, allow us to infer properties of the progenitor
evolution. In the latter half of this chapter, we will show how this exercise
may be extended from individual objects to SNR as classes of objects, and how
there are clear bifurcations in the dynamics and spectral characteristics of
core collapse and thermonuclear supernova remnants. We will finish the chapter
by touching on recent advances in the modeling of massive stars, and the
implications for observable properties of supernovae and their remnants.Comment: A chapter in "Handbook of Supernovae" edited by Athem W. Alsabti and
Paul Murdin (18 pages, 6 figures
An X-ray Pulsar with a Superstrong Magnetic Field in the Soft Gamma-Ray Repeater SGR1806-20
Soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) emit multiple, brief (approximately O.1 s) intense outbursts of low-energy gamma-rays. They are extremely rare; three are known in our galaxy and one in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Two SGRs are associated with young supernova remnants (SNRs), and therefore most probably with neutron stars, but it remains a puzzle why SGRs are so different from 'normal' radio pulsars. Here we report the discovery of pulsations in the persistent X-ray flux of SGR1806-20, with a period of 7.47 s and a spindown rate of 2.6 x 10(exp -3) s/yr. We argue that the spindown is due to magnetic dipole emission and find that the pulsar age and (dipolar) magnetic field strength are approximately 1500 years and 8 x 10(exp 14) gauss, respectively. Our observations demonstrate the existence of 'magnetars', neutron stars with magnetic fields about 100 times stronger than those of radio pulsars, and support earlier suggestions that SGR bursts are caused by neutron-star 'crust-quakes' produced by magnetic stresses. The 'magnetar' birth rate is about one per millenium, a substantial fraction of that of radio pulsars. Thus our results may explain why some SNRs have no radio pulsars
Binary and Millisecond Pulsars at the New Millennium
We review the properties and applications of binary and millisecond pulsars.
Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years,
mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population
to over 1300. There are now 56 binary and millisecond pulsars in the Galactic
disk and a further 47 in globular clusters. This review is concerned primarily
with the results and spin-offs from these surveys which are of particular
interest to the relativity community.Comment: 59 pages, 26 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in Living
Reviews in Relativity (http://www.livingreviews.org