X-ray binaries with neutron stars at different accretion stages [HEAP]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1811.02842


Different accretion regimes onto magnetized NSs in HMXBs are considered: wind-fed supersonic (Bondi) regime at high accretion rates $\dot M\gtrsim 4\times 10^{16}$~[g s$^{-1}$] , subsonic settling regime at lower $\dot M$ and supercritical disc accretion during Roche lobe overflow. In wind-fed stage, NSs in HMXBs reach equilibrium spin periods $P^$ proportional to binary orbital period $P_b$. At supercritical accretion stage, the system may appear as a pulsating ULX. Population synthesis of Galactic HMXBs using standard assumptions on the binary evolution and NS formation is presented. Comparison of the model $P^$ — $P_b$ (the Corbet diagram), $P^$ — $L_x$ and $P_b$ — $L_x$ distributions with those for the observed HMXBs (including Be X-ray binaries) and pulsating ULXs suggests the importance of the reduction of $P^$ in non-circular orbits, explaining the location of Be X-ray binaries in the model Corbet diagram, and the universal parameters of pulsating ULXs depending only on the NS magnetic fields.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Postnov, A. Kuranov and L. Yungelson
Thu, 8 Nov 18
56/72

Comments: 9 pages, 10 figures, to appear in Proc. IAUS 346