SIMBAD references

1998ApJ...505..828Y - Astrophys. J., 505, 828-834 (1998/October-1)

Spin-up of low-luminosity, low-mass X-ray binaries.

YI I. and GRINDLAY J.E.

Abstract (from CDS):

We examine the spin-up of low-luminosity, low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) to millisecond pulsars (MSPs). In the conventional spin-up model of the Ghosh & Lamb type, where the stellar magnetic field interacts with the Keplerian accretion disk, MSPs could be produced from LMXBs if the magnetic field B*≲108M{dot}/1016 g.s–1) G, where M{dot} is the mass accretion rate. However, for M{dot}<M{dot}c∼1016 g.s–1, accretion is likely to occur via a quasi-spherical flow with a sub-Keplerian rotation. The sub-Keplerian rotation rate is smaller than the Keplerian rate by a factor ∼2-10. As a consequence, the spin up of LMXBs produces pulsars with spin periods longer by a factor of ∼2-10 than those with a Keplerian accretion disk. The observed MSPs could be produced only for B* < 107 G even when M{dot}∼M{dot}c∼1016 g.s–1. This suggests that the low-luminosity LMXBs with M{dot}<M{dot}c would not be able to spin-up to the observed MSPs. This rules out any undetected populations of persistent, low-luminosity LMXBs and a potentially significant fraction of the atoll sources as a possible source population of the observed MSPs. If a large number of undetected, persistent, low-luminosity LMXBs do exist, they could produce MSPs near the pulsar death line with intrinsic electromagnetic luminosity ≲1030 ergs.s–1. The observed MSPs could possibly arise from a population of soft X-ray transients (SXTs) containing neutron stars, although this is not supported by current estimates of the outburst rate or numbers of such systems. Accretion-induced collapse of low magnetic field white dwarfs remains a possible channel for MSP formation.

Abstract Copyright:

Journal keyword(s): Accretion, Accretion Disks - Stars: Pulsars: General - Stars: Magnetic Fields - X-Rays: Stars

Simbad objects: 4

goto Full paper

goto View the references in ADS

To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:1998ApJ...505..828Y and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu