Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Nov 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990mnras.247..219i&link_type=abstract
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 247, NO.2/NOV15, P. 219, 1990
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
27
Scientific paper
We propose a new spin-down mechanism for accreting neutron stars that explains the existence of a number of long-period (p ˜ 100-1000 s) X-ray pulsars in wide binaries with OB-stars. The spin-down is a result of efficient angular-momentum transfer from the rotating magnetosphere of the accreting star to an outflowing stream of magnetized matter. The outflow is formed within a limited solid angle, and the outflow rate is less than the accretion rate. The outflow formation is connected with the anisotropy and intensity of the hard X-ray emission of the neutron star. X-rays from the pulsar heat the accreting matter anisotropically through Compton scattering. The heated matter has a lower density than the surrounding accreting matter and flows up by the action of the buoyancy force. We find the criterion for the outflow to form deep in the accretion flow (i.e. close to the neutron-star magnetosphere). The neutron star loses angular momentum when the outflow forms so deep as to capture the magnetic-field lines from the rotating magnetosphere. The balance between angular-momentum gain by accreting gas and loss by outflowing matter takes place at a particular value of the period of the spinning neutron star.
Illarionov Andrei F.
Kompaneets Dmitrii A.
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