Progress in Determining the Masses and Radii of Neutron Stars Using X-ray Bursts

Details Progress in Determining the Masses and Radii of Neutron Stars Using X-ray Bursts Progress in Determining the Masses and Radii of Neutron Stars Using X-ray Bursts

Sep 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011head...12.4207l&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, HEAD meeting #12, #42.07

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

X-ray burst spectra have long been used to estimate neutron star masses and radii. These estimates assumed that the spectra observed during thermonuclear bursts are accurately described by the stellar atmosphere spectral models that had been developed over three decades. We made the first comparisons of those models with high-precision burst spectra, using RXTE observations of a superburst from 4U 1820-30 and a long burst from GX 17+2, and found the models to be strongly inconsistent with the measured spectra. Our results therefore suggest caution in making inferences using previous spectral models. In contrast, a simple Bose-Einstein spectrum is fully consistent with these high-precision measurements, as are newly developed stellar atmosphere spectral models. When combined with long intervals of high-precision spectral measurements, these new models may allow improved estimates of the masses and radii of neutron stars using X-ray burst spectra to determine their surface redshifts and surface gravities.
These results are based on research supported by NSF grant AST0709015 and the Fortner Chair at Illinois and by NSF grant AST0708424 at Maryland.

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