Interpreting QPOs from Accreting Neutron Stars
Abstract
The high time resolution and large area of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have been essential in the detection and characterization of high-frequency quasi-periodic variability in the flux from neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries. An unknown phenomenon prior to RXTE, kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) have now been detected from more than twenty systems. Their high frequencies (up to 1330 Hz) imply that they are generated close to the neutron star, where general relativistic effects are expected to play an important role. I summarize current models for the kilohertz QPO phenomenon. In particular, I show that there is a significant domain of agreement among the models that can be used to constrain neutron star structure and look for signatures of highly curved spacetime in the properties of the QPOs.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0312449,
title = {Interpreting QPOs from Accreting Neutron Stars},
author = {M. Coleman Miller},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0312449},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in proceedings of X-Ray Timing 2003: Rossi and Beyond, Boston, 3-5 November 2003