Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userThree-dimensional instability of flame fronts in type I X-ray bursts
66
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We present the first realistic 3D simulations of flame front instabilities during type I X-ray bursts. The unperturbed front is characterised by the balance between the pressure gradient and the Coriolis force of a spinning neutron star ({ u} = 450 Hz in our case). This balance leads to a fast horizontal velocity field parallel to the flame front. This flow is strongly sheared in the vertical direction. When we perturb the front an instability quickly corrugates the front. We identify this instability as the baroclinic instability. Most importantly, the flame is not disrupted by the instability and there are two major consequences: the overall flame propagation speed is {sim} 10 times faster than in the unperturbed case and distinct flame vortices appear. The speedup is due to the corrugation of the front and the dynamics of the vortices. These vortices may also be linked to the oscillations observed in the lightcurves of the bursts.
rate research
Read More
Type I X-ray bursts are produced by thermonuclear runaways that develop on accreting neutron stars. Once one location ignites, the flame propagates across the surface of the star. Flame propagation is fundamental in order to understand burst properties like rise time and burst oscillations. Previous work quantified the effects of rotation on the front, showing that the flame propagates as a deflagration and that the front strongly resembles a hurricane. However the effect of magnetic fields was not investigated, despite the fact that magnetic fields strong enough to have an effect on the propagating flame are expected to be present on many bursters. In this paper we show how the coupling between fluid layers introduced by an initially vertical magnetic field plays a decisive role in determining the character of the fronts that are responsible for the Type I bursts. In particular, on a star spinning at 450 Hz (typical among the bursters) we test seed magnetic fields of $10^{7} - 10^{10}$ G and find that for the medium fields the magnetic stresses that develop during the burst can speed up the velocity of the burning front, bringing the simulated burst rise time close to the observed values. By contrast, in a magnetic slow rotator like IGR J17480--2446, spinning at 11 Hz, a seed field $gtrsim 10^9$ G is required to allow localized ignition and the magnetic field plays an integral role in generating the burst oscillations observed during the bursts.
We present the first vertically resolved hydrodynamic simulations of a laterally propagating, deflagrating flame in the thin helium ocean of a rotating accreting neutron star. We use a new hydrodynamics solver tailored to deal with the large discrepancy in horizontal and vertical length scales typical of neutron star oceans, and which filters out sound waves that would otherwise limit our timesteps. We find that the flame moves horizontally with velocities of order $10^5$ cm s$^{-1}$, crossing the ocean in few seconds, broadly consistent with the rise times of Type I X-ray bursts. We address the open question of what drives flame propagation, and find that heat is transported from burning to unburnt fuel by a combination of top-to-bottom conduction and mixing driven by a baroclinic instability. The speed of the flame propagation is therefore a sensitive function of the ocean conductivity and spin: we explore this dependence for an astrophysically relevant range of parameters and find that in general flame propagation is faster for slower rotation and higher conductivity.
Type I X-ray bursts are thermonuclear explosions that occur in the envelopes of accreting neutron stars. Detailed observations of these phenomena have prompted numerous studies in theoretical astrophysics and experimental nuclear physics since their discovery over 35 years ago. In this review, we begin by discussing key observational features of these phenomena that may be sensitive to the particular patterns of nucleosynthesis from the associated thermonuclear burning. We then summarize efforts to model type I X-ray bursts, with emphasis on determining the nuclear physics processes involved throughout these bursts. We discuss and evaluate limitations in the models, particularly with regard to key uncertainties in the nuclear physics input. Finally, we examine recent, relevant experimental measurements and outline future prospects to improve our understanding of these unique environments from observational, theoretical and experimental perspectives.
Many distinct classes of high-energy variability have been observed in astrophysical sources, on a range of timescales. The widest range (spanning microseconds-decades) is found in accreting, stellar-mass compact objects, including neutron stars and black holes. Neutron stars are of particular observational interest, as they exhibit surface effects giving rise to phenomena (thermonuclear bursts and pulsations) not seen in black holes. Here we briefly review the present understanding of thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts. These events are powered by an extensive chain of nuclear reactions, which are in many cases unique to these environments. Thermonuclear bursts have been exploited over the last few years as an avenue to measure the neutron star mass and radius, although the contribution of systematic errors to these measurements remains contentious. We describe recent efforts to better match burst models to observations, with a view to resolving some of the astrophysical uncertainties related to these events. These efforts have good prospects for providing complementary information to nuclear experiments.
We observed the Rapid Burster with Chandra when it was in the banana state that usually precedes the type-II X-ray bursting island state for which the source is particularly known. We employed the High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer in combination with the ACIS-S detector in continuous clocking mode. The observation yielded 20 thermonuclear type-I X-ray bursts emitted from the neutron star surface with recurrence times between 0.9 and 1.2 hr, and an e-folding decay time scale of 1 min. We searched for narrow spectral features in the burst emission that could constrain the composition of the ashes of the nuclear burning and the compactness of the neutron star, but found none. The upper limit on the equivalent width of narrow absorption lines between 2 and 6 keV is between 5 and 20 eV (single trial 3 sigma confidence level) and on those of absorption edges between 150 and 400 eV. The latter numbers are comparable to the levels predicted by Weinberg, Bildsten & Schatz (2006) for Eddington-limited thermonuclear bursts.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
