On the Lack of Type I X-ray Bursts in Black Hole X-ray Binaries: Evidence for the Event Horizon?

Type I X-ray bursts are very common in neutron star X-ray binaries, but no Type I burst has been seen in the dozen or so binaries in which the accreting compact star is too massive to be a neutron star and therefore is identified as a black hole candidate. We have carried out a global linear stability analysis of the accumulating fuel on the surface of a compact star to identify the conditions under which thermonuclear bursts are triggered. Our analysis, which improves on previous calculations, reproduces the gross observational trends of bursts in neutron star systems. It further shows that, if black hole candidates have surfaces, they would very likely exhibit instabilities similar to those that lead to Type I bursts on neutron stars. The lack of bursts in black hole candidates is thus significant, and indicates that these objects have event horizons. We discuss possible caveats to this conclusion.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, to appear in 1 August 2002 edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters, significant changes to the methods, results unchange

Anti-phase Modulation of Electron- and Hole-like States in Vortex Core of Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox Probed by Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy

In the vortex core of slightly overdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox, the electron-like and hole-like states have been found to exhibit spatial modulations in anti-phase with each other along the Cu-O bonding direction. Some kind of one-dimensionality has been observed in the vortex core, and it is more clearly seen in differential conductance maps at lower biases below +-9 mV

On the enigmatic X-ray Source V1408 Aql (=4U 1957+11)

Models for the characteristically soft X-ray spectrum of the compact X-ray source V1498 Aql (=4U 1957+11) have ranged from optically thick Comptonization to multicolor accretion disk models. We critically examine the X-ray spectrum of V1408 Aql via archival Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) data, archival Roentgensatellit (ROSAT) data, and recent Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) data. Although we are able to fit a variety of X-ray spectral models to these data, we favor an interpretation of the X-ray spectrum as being due to an accretion disk viewed at large inclination angles. Evidence for this hypothesis includes long term (117 day, 235 day, 352 day) periodicities seen by the RXTE All Sky Monitor (ASM), which we interpret as being due to a warped precessing disk, and a 1 keV feature in the ASCA data, which we interpret as being the blend of L fluorescence features from a disk atmosphere or wind. We also present timing analysis of the RXTE data and find upper limits of 4% for the root mean square (rms) variability between f=0.001-16 Hz. The situation of whether the compact object is a black hole or neutron star is still ambiguous; however, it now seems more likely that an X-ray emitting, warped accretion disk is an important component of this system.Comment: High Frequency Power Spectrum corrected for unflagged `data dropouts' (described in Appendix) and correct upper limits for variability presented. All energy spectra and long term variability sections unchanged. Additional references and acknowledgements added. 13 pages in emulateapj.st

Electron Positron Capture Rates and the Steady State Equilibrium Condition for Electron-Positron Plasma with Nucleons

The reaction rates of the beta processes for all particles at arbitrary degeneracy are derived, and an {\it analytic} steady state equilibrium condition $\mu_n=\mu_p+2\mu_e$ which results from the equality of electron and positron capture rates in the hot electron-positron plasma with nucleons is also found, if the matter is transparent to neutrinos. This simple analytic formula is valid only if electrons are nondegenerate or mildly degenerate, which is generally satisfied in the hot electron-positron plasma. Therefore, it can be used to efficiently determine the steady state of the hot matter with plenty of positrons. Based on this analytic condition, given the baryon number density and the temperature, if the nucleons are nondegenerate, only one algebraic equation for determining the electron fraction is obtained, which shows the great advantage of the analytic equilibrium condition.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Geometrical Distance Determination using Type I X-ray Bursts

With the excellent angular resolution of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, it is possible to geometrically determine the distance to variable Galactic sources, based on the phenomenon that scattered radiation appearing in the X-ray halo has to travel along a slightly longer path than the direct, unscattered radiation. By measuring the delayed variability, constraints on the source distance can be obtained if the halo brightness is large enough to dominate the point spread function (PSF) and to provide sufficient statistics. The distance to Cyg X-3, which has a quasi-sinusoidal light curve, has been obtained with this approach by Predehl et al. Here we examine the feasibility of using the delayed signature of type I X-ray bursts as distance indicators. We use simulations of delayed X-ray burst light curves in the halo to find that the optimal annular region and energy band for a distance measurement with a grating observation is roughly 10-50" and 1-5 keV respectively, assuming Chandra's effective area and PSF, uniformly distributed dust, the input spectrum and optical depth to GX 13+1, and the Weingartner & Draine interstellar grain model. We find that the statistics are dominated by Poisson noise rather than systematic uncertainties, e.g., the PSF contribution to the halo. Using Chandra, a distance measurement to such a source at 4 (8) kpc could be made to about 23% (30%) accuracy with a single burst with 68% confidence. By stacking many bursts, a reasonable estimate of systematic errors limit the distance measurement to about 10% accuracy.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; Accepted for publication in Ap

P-Process Nucleosynthesis inside Supernova-Driven Supercritical Accretion Disks

We investigate p-process nucleosynthesis in a supercritical accretion disk around a compact object of 1.4 M_solar, using the self-similar solution of an optically thick advection dominated flow. Supercritical accretion is expected to occur in a supernova with fallback material accreting onto a new-born compact object. It is found that appreciable amounts of p-nuclei are synthesized via the p-process in supernova-driven supercritical accretion disks (SSADs) when the accretion rate m_dot = M_dot c^2/(16 L_Edd) >10^5, where L_Edd is the Eddington luminosity. Abundance profiles of p-nuclei ejected from SSADs have similar feature to those of the oxygen/neon layers in Type II supernovae when the abundance of the fallback gas far from the compact object is that of the oxygen/neon layers in the progenitor. The overall abundance profile is in agreement with that of the solar system. Some p-nuclei, such as Mo, Ru, Sn, and La, are underproduced in the SSADs as in Type II supernovae. If the fallback gas is mixed with a small fraction of proton through Rayleigh-Taylor instability during the explosion, significant amounts of Mo92 are produced inside the SSADs. Ru96 and La138 are also produced when the fallback gas contains abundant proton though the overall abundance profile of p-nuclei is rather different from that of the solar system. The p-process nucleosynthesis in SSADs contributes to chemical evolution of p-nuclei, in particular Mo92, if several percents of fallback matter are ejected via jets and/or winds.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures included, 3 tables, LaTeX emulateapj5.sty, accepted for publication by the Astronomical Journal (March, 2003

Peculiar spectral and power spectral behaviour of the LMXB GX 13+1

We present results of an analysis of all 480 ks of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array data obtained from 17 May 1998 to 11 October 1998 on the luminous low mass X-ray binary GX 13+1. We analysed the spectral properties in colour-colour diagrams (CDs) and hardness-intensity diagrams (HIDs) and fitted the power spectra with a multi-Lorentzian model. GX 13+1 traces out a curved track in the CDs on a time scale of hours, which is very reminiscent of a standard atoll track containing an island, and lower and upper banana branch. However, both count rate and power spectral properties vary along this track in a very unusual way, not seen in any other atoll or Z source. The count rate, which varied by a factor of ~1.6, along a given track first decreases and then increases, causing the motion through the HIDs to be in the opposite sense to that in the CD, contrary to all other Z and atoll sources. Along a CD track, the very low frequency noise uniquely decreases in amplitude from ~5 to ~2% (rms). The high frequency noise amplitude decreases from ~4% to less than 1% and its characteristic frequency decreases from ~10 to \~5 Hz. The 57-69 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) found earlier is also detected, and no kHz QPOs are found. In addition the entire track shows secular motion on a time scale of about a week. The average count rate as well as the amplitude of the very low frequency noise correlate with this secular motion. We discuss a possible explanation for the peculiar properties of GX 13+1 in terms of an unusual orientation or strength of a relativistic jet.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&