Journal
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Volume 480, Issue 2, Pages L21-L24Publisher
EDP SCIENCES S A
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20079277
Keywords
accretion, accretion disks; stars : neutron; X-rays : binaries
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We argue that X-ray flaring variability observed in the transient X-ray pulsar A0535+26 is due to low-mode magnetospheric instability. This instability develops at the onset of accretion, in the thin boundary layer between the accretion disk and neutron star magnetosphere. As a result, the matter collected in the boundary layer can rapidly fall onto the NS surface close to the magnetic poles, but not exactly along the field lines by which the stationary accretion proceeds. This explains the shift in cyclotron line energy measured using RXTE data in a pre-outburst spike, with respect to the line energy observed during the main outburst. Furthermore, the instability can account for the difference in pulse profiles, and their energy evolution that is different in the pre-outburst flare and main outburst.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available