Ⅰ型X射线暴和中子星周围物质的相互作用研究进展

Ⅰ型X射线暴是发生在中子星小质量X射线双星表面的不稳定核燃烧过程。Ⅰ型X射线暴的辐射可对中子星周围的物质产生显著影响。文章回顾了Ⅰ型X射线暴与中子星周围物质之间的相互作用的观测结果和理论解释,包括坡印亭-罗伯逊效应引起的吸积率增加、Ⅰ型X射线暴能谱中的吸收限特征、吸积盘反射、千赫兹准周期震荡信号的变化、冕冷却导致的硬X射线缺失等;此外,还介绍了NICER卫星相关观测的最新进展。     

黑洞暂现源中的准周期振荡现象

黑洞暂现源是中心天体为恒星级黑洞的X射线双星,其X射线辐射是暂态的。目前已经得到认证的黑洞暂现源总共有17个,黑洞候选体有32个。黑洞暂现源中普遍存在准周期振荡(QPO)现象,按照频率的不同可以将黑洞暂现源中的QPO分为低频QPO和高频QPO两类。相对论性进动模型是现阶段解释低频QPO现象最成功的理论模型,除此之外径向振荡模型和盘振荡模型也可以解释某些低频QPO现象;而高频QPO现象可以用相对论性共振模型以及盘振荡模型解释。研究黑洞暂现源QPO现象有利于更好地了解吸积的本质以及内吸积流的性质,同时为研究黑洞周围强引力场效应提供了窗口。此外,存在一些与QPO现象有关的经验关系,对这些经验关系的研究可以对现有的理论模型提出限制条件。     

X射线暴振荡的研究进展

X射线暴振荡是在小质量X射线双星的I型X射线暴中探测到的周期性现象,振荡的周期与中子星的自转周期接近。近些年来,RXTE和NICER等高能探测器在30个小质量X射线双星中探测到了爆发振荡现象。X射线暴振荡对研究致密物质状态、中子星表面强引力和强磁场行为等都有着重要的意义。文章介绍了I型X射线暴和爆发振荡的搜索方法、爆发振荡的观测结果、爆发振荡的热斑模型和表面模式振荡模型,未来,X射线暴振荡将用于测量中子星质量、半径和自转。     

ESO 113-G010的一对准周期振荡信号

2005年11月XMM-Newton望远镜对窄线赛弗特星系ESO 113-G010进行了长达100 ks的观测.采用Lomb-Scargle周期图(LSP)法和加权小波Z变换(Weighted Wavelet Z-transform,WWZ)两种方法对数据进行分析,发现存在着～2.24 11和～4.09 h准周期振荡(Quasi-Periodic Oscillation,QPO),其置信度分别为7.3σ和4.8σ.这两个QPO信号的周期具有大约1:2 (1:1.83)的关系.在该源的其他的观测中并没有发现QPO信号,表明这是一种暂现现象.ESO 113-G010中心黑洞的质量MBH和其QPO频率f_(QPO)满足已知的从恒星级黑洞到超大质量黑洞的质量与QPO频率之间的对数线性关系.该源的能谱分析显示在1 keV以下有软X射线超的现象.     

天鹰座 X-1能谱和千赫兹准周期振荡频率的相关

通过分析1997年2月27日和3月1日对天鹰座X-1的两次空间数据观测．发现千赫兹QPO频率同X射线能诺有一定相关,其行为类似于另一个X射线暂现源4U1608-52,讨论了分析结果对了解吸积及QPO产生过程的意义．     

小质量X射线双星中中子星自转演化的研究

为解释毫秒脉冲星自转周期的观测数据和理论结果之间的差异,采用数值分析的方法研究了小质量X射线双星中中子星的自转演化.在计算中,分别考虑了辐射压和中子星辐照引起的物质交流的不稳定性对系统的影响.结果如下:(1)吸积盘内的辐射压会使自转周期有小幅增加,中子星辐照导致的物质传输率的变化会缩短演化路径中自转减慢的阶段;(2)同时考虑辐射压和中子星辐照时在物质传输的高态阶段吸积会被辐射压抑制;(3)吸积的质量和快参数影响达到自转平衡的系统数目.     

Ⅰ型X射线暴多峰结构的研究进展

Ⅰ型X射线暴(热核暴)是发生在小质量X射线中子星双星系统中X射线波段流量突然大幅度增加的一种高能现象.在热核闪模型下,此现象被认为主要由中子星表面热核不稳定燃烧主要引起的.典型X射线暴的光变曲线呈现快速上升(1～5 s)、e指数下降(10～100 s)的单峰结构.随着X射线暴样本的增加,在观测上出现了一类多峰结构的热核...     

低质量X射线双星中QPO现象的理论解释

本文简略地叙述了低质量X射线双星中准周期振荡(QPO)现象的理论解释,对其中的差频模型(BFM)和它的一些发展作了较为详细的介绍。对模型中存在的问题和新观测赐予理论的启示,作了简要的陈述。     

异常X射线脉冲星与强磁星

早在1967年,休伊什和贝尔发现的脉冲星即被证明为具有强磁场的中子星。稍后,人们又发现蟹状星云中子星发射X射线脉冲。20世纪70年代"乌呼鲁"卫星发现,半人马座X-3和武仙座X-1也有周期X射线脉冲发射,它们的脉冲周期分别为4.84秒和1.24秒。这些X射线源现在称为"正常X射线脉冲星"。正常X射线脉冲星分为两类,一类是单个中子星,它们的辐射能来自旋转,另一类是双星系统内的中子星,它们的辐射能由引力很强的中子星从吸积的伴星物质中得到。1979年12月,格利高里和法尔曼用"爱因斯坦天文台"观测新发现的可变射电源时,在仙后座里拍摄到一个奇怪的天     

中子星质量分布与诞生方式的研究

统计研究了63对双星系统中的72颗中子星(NS)的测量质量,其中包括18对X射线双星(XB)、9对双中子星(DNS)、4对中子星主序星系统(NSMS)、32对中子星白矮星系统(NSWD).运用Monte-Carlo随机抽样的方法,模拟出NS的质量分布,然后基于模拟结果进行统计分析.通过质量的统计研究,发现其质量呈双峰分布,分别集中在(1.328±0.220)M_⊙和(1.773±0.416)M_⊙.值得注意的是,在不考虑DNS的情况下,发现其质量分布仍然是双峰分布,质量集中在(1.360±0.337)M_⊙和(1.854±0.322)M_⊙.18颗DNS质量为单峰分布,平均质量为(1.330±0.0089)M_⊙.NS质量的双峰结构显示出,其可能有两种诞生方式.认为可能是铁核塌缩超新星爆发和电子俘获超新星爆发.DNS质量的单峰结构意味着DNS诞生演化机制可能与其他双星系统不同.为了进一步研究中子星质量分布的特性,将53颗测量到自旋周期的NS在20 ms处分为两组,分别为毫秒中子星(MSP,Ps≤20 ms)和正常中子星(PSR,Ps20 ms),发现这两类NS质量也都呈现出双峰分布,而且MSP的平均质量要比PSR的平均质量大～0.22 M_⊙.这表明NS在诞生后吸积约0.22 M_⊙的物质时,将可能成为MSP.根据NS质量与周期在M-Ps图上的分布,拟合出质量与周期之间的关系为:M=1.4+(Ps/ms)~(-3/2)M_⊙.     

The magnetohydrodynamics model of twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations in low-mass X-ray binaries

We suggest an explanation for the twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) oscillation modes in neutron star magnetospheres. Including the effect of the neutron star spin, we derive several MHD wave modes by solving the dispersion equations, and propose that the coupling of the two resonant MHD modes may lead to the twin kHz QPOs. This model naturally relates the upper, lower kHz QPO frequencies with the spin frequencies of the neutron stars, and can well account for the measured data of six LMXBs.     

On the Nature of the Compact Star in 4U 1728-34

The discovery of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer has stimulated extensive studies of these sources. Recently, Osherovich & Titarchuk suggested a new model for kHz QPOs and the related correlations between kHz QPOs and low-frequency features in LMXBs. Here we use their results to study the mass-radius relation for the atoll source 4U 1728-34. We find that, if this model is correct, 4U 1728-34 is possibly a strange star rather than a neutron star.     

A Study on the Correlations between the Twin kHz QPO Frequencies in Sco X-1

For the bright neutron star low-mass X-ray binary Sco X-1, we analyzed all updated frequencies of the twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs), their correlations and distributions. We found that the frequency separation of the kHz QPO peaks appears not to be a constant, rather, it decreases with increasing inferred mass accretion rate. We show that the currently available data of Sco X-1 by Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer are inconsistent with the proposals of the beat model that the frequency separation is a constant. Our conclusions are consistent with those of some previous researchers and we discuss further implications for the kilohertz QPO models.     

Morphological analysis on the coherence of kHz QPOs

We take the recently published data of twin kHz quasi-period oscillations (QPOs) in neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) as the samples, and investigate the morphology of the samples, which focuses on the quality factor, peak frequency of kHz QPOs, and try to infer their physical mechanism. We notice that: (1) The quality factors of upper kHz QPOs are low (2～20 in general) and increase with the kHz QPO peak frequencies for both Z and Atoll sources. (2) The distribution of quality factor versus frequency for the lower kHz QPOs are quite different between Z and Atoll sources. For most Z source samples, the quality factors of lower kHz QPOs are low (usually lower than 15) and rise steadily with the peak frequencies except for Sco X-1, which drop abruptly at the frequency of about 750 Hz. While for most Atoll sources, the quality factors of lower kHz QPOs are very high (from 2 to 200) and usually have a rising part, a maximum and an abrupt drop. (3) There are three Atoll sources (4U 1728-34, 4U 1636-53 and 4U 1608-52) of displaying very high quality factors for lower kHz QPOs. These three sources have been detected with the spin frequencies and sidebands, in which the source with higher spin frequency presents higher quality factor of lower kHz QPOs and lower difference between sideband frequency and lower kHz QPO frequency.     

Comparing Black Hole and Neutron Star Variability

There are remarkable similarities between the rapid X-ray variability of low-magnetic field neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries, and that of black holes. In particular at frequencies < 100 Hz, their power spectra can be strikingly similar. The highest frequency phenomena (kilohertz QPOs, black hole high-frequency QPOs and neutron star hectohertz QPOs) are the ones that show most differences, perhaps because they originate closest to the compact object. Most variability components vary in frequency in correlation with one another, and the correlations once again are very similar across neutron stars and black holes – some extend even to white dwarfs. Although this does not strictly require that all phenomena whose frequencies are involved are caused by the same physics in all three source types, this does indicate that basic properties of the accretion flow which are the same in all three source types play an important role in generating at least some of the frequencies.     

The correlations between the twin kHz quasi-periodic oscillation frequencies of low-mass X-ray binaries

We analyzed the recently published kHz quasi-period oscillaiton (QPO) data in the neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), in order to investigate the different correlations of the twin-peak kHz QPOs in bright Z sources and in the less luminous Atoll sources. We find a power-law relation  ν₁∼ν ^b ₂  between the upper and the lower kHz QPOs with different indices: b ≃ 1.5 for the Atoll source 4U 1728-34 and b ≃ 1.9 for the Z source Sco X-1. The implications of our results for the theoretical models for kHz QPOs are discussed.     

Is there a link between the neutron-star spin and the frequency of the kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations?

There is a general consensus that the frequencies of the kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries are directly linked to the spin of the neutron star. The root of this idea is the apparent clustering of the ratio of the frequency difference of the kHz QPOs, and the neutron-star spin frequency,  Δν/ν_s  , at around 0.5 and 1 in 10 systems for which these two quantities have been measured. Here, we re-examine all available data of sources for which there exist measurements of two simultaneous kHz QPOs and spin frequencies, and we advance the possibility that Δν and  ν_s  are not related to each other. We discuss ways in which this possibility could be tested with current and future observations.     

Identification of the Coronal Sources of the Fast Solar Wind

Starting from the observation that kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) occur in a very narrow range of X-ray luminosities in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries, we try to link the kHz QPO observability to variations of the neutron star magnetospheric radius, in response to changing mass inflow rate. At low luminosities, the drop-off of kHz QPO activity may be explained by the onset of the centrifugal barrier, when the magnetospheric radius reaches the corotation radius. At the opposite side, at higher luminosities, the magnetospheric radius may reach the neutron star and the vanishing of the magnetosphere may lead to the stopping of the kHz QPO activity. If we apply these constraints, the magnetic fields of atoll [B approximately 0.3-1x108 G for Aql X-1] and Z [B approximately 1-8x108 G for Cyg X-2] sources can be derived. These limits naturally apply in the framework of beat-frequency models but can also work in the case of general relativistic models.     

Type I X-ray bursts, burst oscillations and kHz quasi-periodic oscillations in the neutron star system IGR J17191−2821

We present a detailed study of the X-ray energy and power spectral properties of the neutron star transient IGR J17191−2821. We discovered four instances of pairs of simultaneous kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs). The frequency difference between these kHz QPOs is between 315 and 362 Hz. We also report on the detection of five thermonuclear type I X-ray bursts and the discovery of burst oscillations at ∼294 Hz during three of them. Finally, we report on a faint and short outburst precursor, which occurred about two months before the main outburst. Our results on the broad-band spectral and variability properties allow us to firmly establish the atoll source nature of IGR J17191−2821.     

Rossi XTE monitoring of 4U 1636–53 – I. Long-term evolution and kHz quasi-periodic oscillations

We have monitored the atoll-type neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636−53 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ) for more than 1.5 yr. Our campaign consisted of short (∼2 ks) pointings separated by 2 d, regularly monitoring the spectral and timing properties of the source. During the campaign we observed a clear long-term oscillation with a period of ∼30–40 d, already seen in the light curves from the RXTE All-Sky Monitor, which corresponded to regular transitions between the hard (island) and soft (banana) states. We detected kilohertz (kHz) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in about a third of the observations, most of which were in the soft (banana) state. The distribution of the frequencies of the peak identified as the lower kHz QPO is found to be different from that previously observed in an independent data set. This suggests that the kHz QPOs in the system shows no intrinsically preferred frequency.