5 research outputs found
Energy Release During Disk Accretion onto a Rapidly Rotating Neutron Star
The energy release L_s on the surface of a neutron star (NS) with a weak
magnetic field and the energy release L_d in the surrounding accretion disk
depend on two independent parameters that determine its state (for example,
mass M and cyclic rotation frequency f) and is proportional to the accretion
rate. We derive simple approximation formulas illustrating the dependence of
the efficiency of energy release in an extended disk and in a boundary layer
near the NS surface on the frequency and sense of rotation for various NS
equations of state. Such formulas are obtained for the quadrupole moment of a
NS, for a gap between its surface and a marginally stable orbit, for the
rotation frequency in an equatorial Keplerian orbit and in the marginally
stable circular orbit, and for the rate of NS spinup via disk accretion. In the
case of NS and disk counterrotation, the energy release during accretion can
reach . The sense of NS rotation is a factor that strongly
affects the observed ratio of nuclear energy release during bursts to
gravitational energy release between bursts in X-ray bursters. The possible
existence of binary systems with NS and disk counterrotation in the Galaxy is
discussed. Based on the static criterion for stability, we present a method of
constructing the dependence of gravitational mass M on Kerr rotation parameter
j and on total baryon mass (rest mass) m for a rigidly rotating neutron star.
We show that all global NS characteristics can be expressed in terms of the
function M(j, m) and its derivatives.Comment: 42 pages, 12 figures, to appear in Astronomy Letters, 2000, v.26,
p.69