Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jul 1978
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1978apj...223l..83g&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters to the Editor, vol. 223, July 15, 1978, p. L83-L87.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
219
Magnetic Stars, Neutron Stars, Stellar Mass Accretion, Stellar Rotation, X Ray Sources, Disks (Shapes), Earth Magnetosphere, Stellar Magnetic Fields, Stellar Structure
Scientific paper
A model for disk accretion by a rotating magnetic neutron star is proposed which includes a detailed description of matter flow in the transition region between the disk and the magnetosphere. It is shown that the disk plasma cannot be completely screened from the stellar magnetic field and that the resulting magnetic coupling between the star and the disk exerts a significant torque on the star. On the assumption that the distortion of the residual stellar field lines threading the disk is limited by reconnection, the total accretion torque on the star is calculated. The calculated torque gives period changes in agreement with those observed in the pulsating X-ray sources and provides a natural explanation of why a fast rotator like Her X-1 has a spin-up rate much below the conventional estimate for slow rotators. It is shown that for such fast rotators, fluctuations in the mass-accretion rate can produce fluctuations in the accretion torque about 100 times larger. For sufficiently fast rotators or, equivalently, for sufficiently low accretion rates, the star experiences a braking torque even while accretion continues and without any mass ejection from its vicinity.
Ghosh Partha Pratim
Lamb Frederick K.
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