The Nature of the ``6 Second'' and Related X-Ray Pulsars: Evolutionary and Dynamical Considerations

Details The Nature of the ``6 Second'' and Related X-Ray Pulsars: Evolutionary and Dynamical Considerations The Nature of the ``6 Second'' and Related X-Ray Pulsars: Evolutionary and Dynamical Considerations

Mar 1997

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997apj...478..713g&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal v.478, p.713

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

45

Stars: Binaries: Close, Stars: Pulsars: General, X-Rays: Stars

Scientific paper

We propose that the "6 s" pulsars, as well as other possible evolutionary analogs of one of these, namely, 4U 1626-67, are products of common envelope (CE) evolution of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). Close HMXBs produce Thorne-Zytkov objects due to complete spiral-in during the CE phase, which turn either into black hole systems or into 6 s pulsars like 4U 0142+61 and 1E 2259+586 (van Paradijs, Taam, & van den Heuvel), which we call braking X-ray pulsars (BXPs). Relatively wide HMXBs eject the massive companion's envelope during the CE phase, producing helium star--neutron star binaries (HSNBs) like 4U 1626-67, Cyg X-3, and perhaps the newly discovered X-ray binary HD 49798. We show that the accretion flow in BXPs is likely to have a significant spherical component which would lead to soft X-ray spectra and large equivalent blackbody areas, in accordance with observations. We argue that, on theoretical grounds, HSNBs like 4U 1626-67 are expected to show both spin-up and spin-down, and that this property sets them apart from BXPs, which are expected to show only spin-down. We discuss the subsequent evolution of BXPs and HSNBs, and stress their importance as missing links in the zoo of neutron star binaries.

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