Related papers: Thermonuclear burst observations for model compari…
We have assembled a sample of 1187 thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts from 48 accreting neutron stars by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, spanning more than ten years. The sample contains examples of two of the three theoretical ignition…
Thermonuclear flashes of hydrogen and helium accreted onto neutron stars produce the frequently observed Type I X-ray bursts. It is the current paradigm that almost all material burns in a burst, after which it takes hours to accumulate…
Type-I X-ray bursts arise from unstable thermonuclear burning of accreted fuel on the surface of neutron stars. In this chapter we review the fundamental physics of the burning processes, and summarise the observational, numerical, and…
Type I X-ray bursts from low-mass X-ray binaries result from a thermonuclear runaway in the material accreted onto the neutron star. Although typical recurrence times are a few hours, consistent with theoretical ignition model predictions,…
We construct a two-zone model to describe H and He burning on the surface of an accreting neutron star and use it to study the triggering of type I X-ray bursts. Although highly simplified, the model reproduces all of the bursting regimes…
I review our theoretical understanding of thermonuclear flashes on accreting neutron stars, concentrating on comparisons to observations. Sequences of regular Type I X-ray bursts from GS 1826-24 and 4U 1820-30 are very well described by the…
Hydrogen and helium accreted onto a neutron star undergo thermonuclear burning. Explosive burning is observed as a type I X-ray burst. We describe the different burning regimes and focus on some of the current inconsistencies between theory…
Rare, energetic (long) thermonuclear (Type I) X-ray bursts are classified either as intermediate-duration or superbursts, based on their duration. Intermediate-duration bursts lasting a few to tens of minutes are thought to arise from the…
We present a new method of matching observations of Type I (thermonuclear) X-ray bursts with models, comparing the predictions of a semi-analytic ignition model with X-ray observations of the accretion-powered millisecond pulsar SAX…
The X-ray burster GS 1826-24 shows extremely regular Type I X-ray bursts whose energetics and recurrence times agree well with thermonuclear ignition models. We present calculations of sequences of burst lightcurves using multizone models…
In low-mass X-ray binaries, the accretion of stellar material onto a neutron star can fuel unstable thermonuclear flashes known as Type I X-ray bursts. Simulating these events using computational models can provide valuable information…
Using the KEPLER hydrodynamics code, 464 models of thermonuclear X-ray bursters were performed across a range of accretion rates and compositions. We present the library of simulated burst profiles from this sample, and examine variations…
Recently we have made measurements of thermonuclear burst energetics and recurrence times which are unprecedented in their precision, largely thanks to the sensitivity of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. In the "Clocked Burster", GS…
Type I X-ray bursts are thermonuclear explosions that occur in the envelopes of accreting neutron stars. Detailed observations of these phenomena have prompted numerous studies in theoretical astrophysics and experimental nuclear physics…
Many distinct classes of high-energy variability have been observed in astrophysical sources, on a range of timescales. The widest range (spanning microseconds-decades) is found in accreting, stellar-mass compact objects, including neutron…
A small subset of thermonuclear X-ray bursts on neutron stars exhibit such a strong photospheric expansion that for a few seconds the photosphere is located at a radius r_ph >~ 1000 km. Such `superexpansions' imply a large and rapid energy…
Superbursts are very energetic Type I X-ray bursts discovered in recent years by long term monitoring of X-ray bursters, believed to be due to unstable ignition of carbon in the deep ocean of the neutron star. A number of "intermediate…
Multi-zone models of Type I X-ray bursts are presented that use an adaptive nuclear reaction network of unprecedented size, up to 1300 isotopes. Sequences of up to 15 bursts are followed for two choices of accretion rate and metallicity. At…
We investigate the thermonuclear bursting behaviour of IGR J17473-2721, an X-ray transient that in 2008 underwent a six month long outburst, starting (unusually) with an X-ray burst. We detected a total of 57 thermonuclear bursts throughout…
Thermonuclear (type-I) bursts arise from unstable ignition of accumulated fuel on the surface of neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries. Measurements of burst properties in principle enable observers to infer the properties of the host…