English

A new look at spherical accretion in High Mass X-ray Binaries

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 2012-05-08 v1

Abstract

Currently used model of spherical accretion onto a magnetized rotating neutron star encounters major difficulties in explaining the entry rate of accreting material into the stellar field and spin evolution of long-period X-ray pulsars. These difficulties can be, however, avoided if the magnetic field of the material captured by the neutron star is incorporated into the model. The magnetic field of the flow itself under certain conditions controls the accretion process and significantly affects the parameters of the accreting material. The mode by which the accretion flow enters the stellar magnetosphere in that case can be associated with Bohm (or turbulent) diffusion and the torque applied to the neutron star appears to be substantially higher than that evaluated in the non-magnetized accretion scenario.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1205.1220,
  title  = {A new look at spherical accretion in High Mass X-ray Binaries},
  author = {N. R. Ikhsanov and L. A. Pustil'nik and N. G. Beskrovnaya},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1205.1220},
  year   = {2012}
}

Comments

published in Proc. of WISAP 2011 Conference 'Waves and Instabilities in Space and Astrophysical Plasmas', P.-L. Sulem & M. Mond (eds.), Eilat, Israel, June 19-24, 2011