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The evolution of the accretion disk around 4u 1820-30 during a superburst
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Ballantyne, D. R. Strohmayer, T. E. |
| Copyright Year | 2004 |
| Description | Accretion from a disk onto a collapsed, relativistic star - a neutron star or black hole - is the mechanism widely believed to be responsible for the emission from compact X-ray binaries. Because of the extreme spatial resolution required, it is not yet possible to directly observe the evolution or dynamics of the inner parts of the accretion disk where general relativistic effects are dominant. Here, we use the bright X-ray emission from a superburst on the surface of the neutron star 4U 1820-30 as a spotlight to illuminate the disk surface. The X-rays cause iron atoms in the disk t o fluoresce, allowing a determination of the ionization state, covering factor and inner radius of the disk over the course of the burst. The time-resolved spectral fitting shows that the inner region of the disk is disrupted by the burst, possibly being heated into a thicker, more tenuous flow, before recovering its previous form in approximately 1000 s. This marks the first instance that the evolution of the inner regions of an accretion disk has been observed in real-time. |
| File Size | 611752 |
| Page Count | 11 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20040035615 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t9c58k23t |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2004-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Astrophysics Neutron Stars Fluorescence Gamma Ray Bursts Accretion Disks Relativistic Effects Star Formation X Ray Binaries Gravitational Collapse X Ray Astronomy X Ray Timing Explorer Spatial Resolution Black Holes Astronomy Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
