Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy

2010

Accretion disks

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

On Relativistic Disk Spectroscopy In Compact Objects With X-Ray Ccd Cameras, J. M. Miller, A. D'Aì, M. W. Bautz, S. Bhattacharyya, D. N. Burrows, E. M. Cackett, A. C. Fabian, M. J. Freyberg, F. Haberl, J. Kennea, M. A. Nowak, R. C. Reis, T. E. Strohmayer, M. Tsujimoto Dec 2010

On Relativistic Disk Spectroscopy In Compact Objects With X-Ray Ccd Cameras, J. M. Miller, A. D'Aì, M. W. Bautz, S. Bhattacharyya, D. N. Burrows, E. M. Cackett, A. C. Fabian, M. J. Freyberg, F. Haberl, J. Kennea, M. A. Nowak, R. C. Reis, T. E. Strohmayer, M. Tsujimoto

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

X-ray charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are the workhorse detectors of modern X-ray astronomy. Typically covering the 0.3-10.0 keV energy range, CCDs are able to detect photoelectric absorption edges and K shell lines from most abundant metals. New CCDs also offer resolutions of 30-50 (E/ΔE), which is sufficient to detect lines in hot plasmas and to resolve many lines shaped by dynamical processes in accretion flows. The spectral capabilities of X-ray CCDs have been particularly important in detecting relativistic emission lines from the inner disks around accreting neutron stars and black holes. One drawback of X-ray CCDs is that spectra can be …


Relativistic Lines And Reflection From The Inner Accretion Disks Around Neutron Stars, Edward M. Cackett, Jon M. Miller, David R. Ballantyne, Didier Barret, Sudip Bhattacharyya, Martin Boutelier, M. Coleman Miller, Tod E. Strohmayer, Rudy Wijnands Sep 2010

Relativistic Lines And Reflection From The Inner Accretion Disks Around Neutron Stars, Edward M. Cackett, Jon M. Miller, David R. Ballantyne, Didier Barret, Sudip Bhattacharyya, Martin Boutelier, M. Coleman Miller, Tod E. Strohmayer, Rudy Wijnands

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

A number of neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) have recently been discovered to show broad, asymmetric Fe K emission lines in their X-ray spectra. These lines are generally thought to be the most prominent part of a reflection spectrum, originating in the inner part of the accretion disk where strong relativistic effects can broaden emission lines. We present a comprehensive, systematic analysis of Suzaku and XMM-Newton spectra of 10 neutron star LMXBs, all of which display broad Fe K emission lines. Of the 10 sources, 4 are Z sources, 4 are atolls, and 2 are accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars …


Rapid Cooling Of The Neutron Star In The Quiescent Super-Eddington Transient Xte J1701-462, Joel K. Fridriksson, Jeroen Homan, Rudy Wijnands, Mariano Méndez, Diego Altamirano, Edward M. Cackett, Edward F. Brown, Tomaso M. Belloni, Nathalie Degenaar, Walter H. G. Lewin May 2010

Rapid Cooling Of The Neutron Star In The Quiescent Super-Eddington Transient Xte J1701-462, Joel K. Fridriksson, Jeroen Homan, Rudy Wijnands, Mariano Méndez, Diego Altamirano, Edward M. Cackett, Edward F. Brown, Tomaso M. Belloni, Nathalie Degenaar, Walter H. G. Lewin

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

We present Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer and Swift observations made during the final three weeks of the 2006-2007 outburst of the super-Eddington neutron star (NS) transient XTE J1701-462, as well as Chandra and XMM-Newton observations covering the first sime800 days of the subsequent quiescent phase. The source transitioned quickly from active accretion to quiescence, with the luminosity dropping by over 3 orders of magnitude in sime13 days. The spectra obtained during quiescence exhibit both a thermal component, presumed to originate in emission from the NS surface, and a non-thermal component of uncertain origin, which has shown large and irregular variability. …


Pulsational Mapping Of Calcium Across The Surface Of A White Dwarf, Susan E. Thompson, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. May 2010

Pulsational Mapping Of Calcium Across The Surface Of A White Dwarf, Susan E. Thompson, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We constrain the distribution of calcium across the surface of the white dwarf star G29-38 by combining time-series spectroscopy from Gemini-North with global time-series photometry from the Whole Earth Telescope. G29-38 is actively accreting metals from a known debris disk. Since the metals sink significantly faster than they mix across the surface, any inhomogeneity in the accretion process will appear as an inhomogeneity of the metals on the surface of the star. We measure the flux amplitudes and the calcium equivalent width amplitudes for two large pulsations excited on G29-38 in 2008. The ratio of these amplitudes best fits a …