J 2020

Neutron Star Radius-to-mass Ratio from Partial Accretion Disk Occultation as Measured through Fe K alpha Line Profiles

LA PLACA, Riccardo, Luigi STELLA, Alessandro PAPITTO, Pavel BAKALA, Tiziana DI SALVO et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Neutron Star Radius-to-mass Ratio from Partial Accretion Disk Occultation as Measured through Fe K alpha Line Profiles

Authors

LA PLACA, Riccardo (380 Italy, belonging to the institution), Luigi STELLA (380 Italy), Alessandro PAPITTO, Pavel BAKALA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Tiziana DI SALVO, Maurizio FALANGA, Vittorio DE FALCO (380 Italy, belonging to the institution) and Alessandra DE ROSA

Edition

Astrophysical Journal, 2020, 0004-637X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10308 Astronomy

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/47813059:19630/20:A0000082

Organization unit

Institute of physics in Opava

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab8017

UT WoS

000529874600001

Keywords in English

Neutron stars; Low-mass X-ray binary stars; Stellar accretion disks; General relativity; X-ray sources

Tags

, FÚ2020, RIV21

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 31/3/2022 10:13, Mgr. Pavlína Jalůvková

Abstract

V originále

We present a new method to measure the radius-to-mass ratio (R/M) of weakly magnetic, disk-accreting neutron stars by exploiting the occultation of parts of the inner disk by the star itself. This occultation imprints characteristic features on the X-ray line profile that are unique and are expected to be present in low-mass X-ray binary systems seen under inclinations higher than 65 degrees. We analyze a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observation of a good candidate system, 4U 1636-53, and find that X-ray spectra from current instrumentation are unlikely to single out the occultation features owing to insufficient signal-to-noise. Based on an extensive set of simulations we show that large-area X-ray detectors of the future generation could measure R/M to 2 3% precision over a range of inclinations. Such is the precision in radius determination required to derive tight constraints on the equation of state of ultradense matter and it represents the goal that other methods also aim to achieve in the future.
Displayed: 25/12/2024 21:21