Observations of black hole and neutron star X-ray binaries show that the luminosity of the hard-to-soft state transition is usually higher than that of the soft-to-hard state transition,indicating additional parameter...Observations of black hole and neutron star X-ray binaries show that the luminosity of the hard-to-soft state transition is usually higher than that of the soft-to-hard state transition,indicating additional parameters other than mass accretion rate are required to interpret spectral state transitions.It has been found in some individual black hole or neutron star soft X-ray transients that the luminosity corresponding to the hard-to-soft state transition is positively correlated with the peak luminosity of the following soft state. In this work,we report the discovery of the same correlation in the single persistent neutron star low mass X-ray binary（LMXB） 4 U 1636–536 based on data from the All Sky Monitor（ASM） on board RXTE,the Gas Slit Camera（GSC） on board MAXI and the Burst Alert Telescope（BAT） on board Swift. We also found such a positive correlation holds in this persistent neutron star LMXB in a luminosity range spanning about a factor of four. Our results indicate that non-stationary accretion also plays an important role in driving X-ray spectral state transitions in persistent accreting systems with small accretion flares,which is much less dramatic compared with the bright outbursts seen in many Galactic LMXB transients.展开更多
Applying the timing tools of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations(k Hz QPOs)and cross-correlations,we study the influence of the magnetosphere-disk relation on the X-ray radiation process of GX 17+2.First,as the spec...Applying the timing tools of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations(k Hz QPOs)and cross-correlations,we study the influence of the magnetosphere-disk relation on the X-ray radiation process of GX 17+2.First,as the spectral state track of X-ray emission evolves along the horizontal branch(HB),the magnetosphere-disk radii of the source derived by k Hz QPOs shrink from r~24 km to r~18 km,while its average X-ray intensities in≤10 ke V and in≥10 ke V show the opposite evolutional trends.Moreover,this branch has been detected with the anti-correlations between the low-/high-energy(e.g.,2–5 ke V/16–30 ke V)X-rays.We suggest that in HB there may exist an X-ray radiation transfer process at the disk radii near the neutron star(NS),i.e.,~5–10 km away from the surface,which probably originates from the interaction between the corona or jet with high-energy X-rays and accretion disk with low-energy X-rays.Second,as the source evolves along the normal branch(NB)and along the flaring branch(FB),their average X-ray intensities in all~2–30 ke V show the monotonously decreasing and monotonously increasing trends,respectively.In addition,these two branches are both dominated by the positive correlations between the low-and high-energy(e.g.,2–5 ke V/16–30 ke V)X-rays.Moreover,the evolution along NB is accompanied by the shrinking of the magnetosphere-disk radii from r~18 km to r~16 km.We ascribe these phenomena to that as the shrinking of the accretion disk radius,the piled up accretion matter around the NS surface may trigger the radiation that produces both the low-and high-energy X-rays simultaneously,and then form the branches of NB and FB.展开更多
We employ the supernova fallback disk model to simulate the spin evolution of isolated young neutron stars(NSs). We consider the submergence of the NS magnetic fields during the supercritical accretion stage and its s...We employ the supernova fallback disk model to simulate the spin evolution of isolated young neutron stars(NSs). We consider the submergence of the NS magnetic fields during the supercritical accretion stage and its succeeding reemergence. It is shown that the evolution of the spin periods and the magnetic fields in this model is able to account for the relatively weak magnetic fields of central compact objects and the measured braking indices of young pulsars. For a range of initial parameters, evolutionary links can be established among various kinds of NS sub-populations including magnetars, central compact objects and young pulsars. Thus, the diversity of young NSs could be unified in the framework of the supernova fallback accretion model.展开更多
Simultaneous multi-wavelength observations have revealed complex variability in AGNs. To explain the variability we considered a theoretical model consisting of an inner hot comptonizing corona and an outer thin accre...Simultaneous multi-wavelength observations have revealed complex variability in AGNs. To explain the variability we considered a theoretical model consisting of an inner hot comptonizing corona and an outer thin accretion disk, with interactions between the two components in the form of comptonization and reprocessing. We found that the variability of AGNs is strongly affected by the parameters of the model, namely, the truncated disk radius rmin, the corona radius rs, the temperature KTe and the optical depth TO of the corona. We applied this model to the two best observed Seyfert 1 galaxies, NGC 5548 and NGC 4051. Our model can reproduce satisfactory the observed SEDs. Our fits indicate that NGC 5548 may have experienced dramatic changes in physical parameters between 1989-1990 and 1998, and that NGC 4051 has a much larger truncated disk radius （700 Schwarzschild radii） than NGC 5548 （several tens of Schwarzschild radii）. Since we adopted a more refined treatment of the comptonization process rather than simply assuming a cut-off power law, our results should be more reasonable than the previous ones.展开更多
We propose a three-stage model with Blandford-Znajek （BZ） and hyperaccretion process to interpret the recent observations of early afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts （GRBs）. In the first stage, the prompt GRB is power...We propose a three-stage model with Blandford-Znajek （BZ） and hyperaccretion process to interpret the recent observations of early afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts （GRBs）. In the first stage, the prompt GRB is powered by a rotating black hole （BH） invoking the BZ process. The second stage is a quiet stage, in which the BZ process is shut off, and the accretion onto the BH is depressed by the torque exerted by the magnetic coupling （MC） process. Part of the rotational energy transported by the MC process from the BH is stored in the disk as magnetic energy. In the third stage, the MC process is shut off when the magnetic energy in the disk accumulates and triggers magnetic instability. At this moment, the hyperaccretion process may set in, and the jet launched in this restarted central engine generates the observed X-ray flares. This model can account for the energies and timescales of GRBs with X-ray flares observed in early afterglows.展开更多
To investigate the geometry of the accretion disk in the source H1743-322, we have carried out a detailed X-ray temporal and spectral study using RXTE pointed observations. We have selected all data pertaining to the ...To investigate the geometry of the accretion disk in the source H1743-322, we have carried out a detailed X-ray temporal and spectral study using RXTE pointed observations. We have selected all data pertaining to the Steep Power Law （SPL） state during the 2003 outburst of this source. We find anti-correlated hard X-ray lags in three of the observations and the changes in the spectral and timing parameters （like the QPO frequency） confirm the idea of a truncated accretion disk in this source, Compiling data from similar observations of other sources, we find a correlation between the fractional change in the QPO frequency and the observed delay. We suggest that these observations indicate a definite size scale in the inner accretion disk （the radius of the truncated disk） and we explain the observed correlation using various disk parameters like Compton cooling time scale, viscous time scale etc..展开更多
We present the results obtained from detailed timing and spectral studies of a black hole candidate MAXI J1813-095 using Swift,NICER,and NuSTAR observations during its 2018 outburst.The timing behavior of the source i...We present the results obtained from detailed timing and spectral studies of a black hole candidate MAXI J1813-095 using Swift,NICER,and NuSTAR observations during its 2018 outburst.The timing behavior of the source is mainly studied by examining NICER light curves in the 0.5−10 keV range.We did not find any signature of quasi-periodic oscillations in the power density spectra of the source.We carry out spectral analysis with a combined disk blackbody&power law model,and physical two-component advective flow(TCAF)model.From the combined disk blackbody&power-law model,we extracted thermal and non-thermal fluxes,photon index and inner disk temperature.We also find evidence for weak reflection in the spectra.We have tested the physical TCAF model on a broadband spectrum from NuSTAR and Swift/XRT.The parameters like mass accretion rates,the size of Compton clouds and the shock strength are extracted.Our result affirms that the source remained in the hard state during the entire outburst which indicates a‘failed’outburst.We estimate the mass of the black hole as 7.4±1.5M⊙from the spectral study with the TCAF model.We apply the LAOR model for the Fe K line emission.From this,the spin parameter of the black hole is ascertained as a^(∗)>0.76.The inclination angle of the system is estimated to be in the range of 28°−45°from the reflection model.We find the source distance to be∼6 kpc.展开更多
We suggest a two-dimensional time dependent analytic model to describe the accretion of matter onto a neutron star moving at a high speed across the ejecta left in the aftermath of a supernova explosion. The formation...We suggest a two-dimensional time dependent analytic model to describe the accretion of matter onto a neutron star moving at a high speed across the ejecta left in the aftermath of a supernova explosion. The formation of a strange star resulting from the accretion is also addressed. The newborn neutron star is assumed to move outward at a kick velocity of Vns- 10^3 kin s^-1, and the accretion flow is treated as a dust flow. When the neutron star travels across the ejecta with high speed, it sweeps up material, and when the accreted mass has reached a critical value, the neutron star will undergo a phase transition, for instance, to become a strange star. Our results show that the accretion rate decreases in a complicated way in time, not just a power law dependence： it drops much faster than the power law derived by Colpi et al. We also found that the total accreted mass and the phase transition of the neutron star depend sensitively on the velocity of supernova ejecta.展开更多
Using the data from the Proportional Counter Array on board theRossi X-Ray Timing Explorersatellite, we study the orbital modulation for the spectrum and mass accretion rate of Cir X-1 during its two orbital periods. ...Using the data from the Proportional Counter Array on board theRossi X-Ray Timing Explorersatellite, we study the orbital modulation for the spectrum and mass accretion rate of Cir X-1 during its two orbital periods. We use a model consisting of a blackbody, a multicolor disk blackbody, and a line component to fit the spectrum and find that the spectrum is obviously modulated by the orbital phase. It is shown that the disk accretion rate in Cir X-1 undergoes three states during the orbital period. At the periastron with orbital phase 0-0.1, the disk accretion rate is sup-Eddington, then from phase 0.1 to the apastron (phase 0.5) it decreases dramatically and becomes near-Eddington, and from the apastron to the next periastron (phase 1) the disk accretion rate approximates Eddington and tends to be steady. We argue that the evolution of the disk accretion rate is attributed to the high orbital eccentricity of this source. The mass accretion rate onto the neutron star is much less than that onto the inner disk, indicating significant outflows in this source.展开更多
We propose that sub-Keplerian accretion belts around stars might launch jets. The sub-Keplerian inflow does not form a rotationally supported accretion disk, but it rather reaches the accreting object from a wide soli...We propose that sub-Keplerian accretion belts around stars might launch jets. The sub-Keplerian inflow does not form a rotationally supported accretion disk, but it rather reaches the accreting object from a wide solid angle. The basic ingredients of the flow are a turbulent region where the accretion belt interacts with the accreting object via a shear layer, and two avoidance regions on the poles where the accretion rate is very low. A dynamo that is developed in the shear layer amplifies magnetic fields to high values. It is likely that the amplified magnetic fields form polar outflows from the avoidance regions. Our speculative belt-launched jets model has implications on a rich variety of astrophysical objects, from the removal of common envelopes to the explosion of core collapse supernovae by jittering jets.展开更多
A model of an inhomogeneous accretion flow,in which cold clumps are surrounded by hot gas or corona,has been proposed to explain the spectral features of black hole X-ray binaries.In this work,we try to find possible ...A model of an inhomogeneous accretion flow,in which cold clumps are surrounded by hot gas or corona,has been proposed to explain the spectral features of black hole X-ray binaries.In this work,we try to find possible observational features in the continuum that can indicate the existence of clumps.The spectra of an inhomogeneous accretion flow are calculated via the Monte Carlo method.Since the corresponding accretion flow is unsteady and complex,the accretion flow is described by a set of free parameters,the ranges of which can include the real cases.The influences of the parameters are investigated.It is found that the thermal component of the spectra deviates from multi-color black body spectra in the middle power-law part.On one hand,a warp appears due to the gaps between the clumps and the outer cold disk,and on the other hand,the slope of the line connecting the thermal peaks deviates from 4/3.The warp feature,as well as the correlation between the thermal peak at higher frequency and the spectral index,possibly indicate the existence of clumps,and are worthy of further investigation with more self-consistent models.展开更多
Using a population synthesis code, we have investigated the formation of symbiotic systems in which the hot component is a main-sequence star that is accreting matter from the cool component via Roche lobe overflow （...Using a population synthesis code, we have investigated the formation of symbiotic systems in which the hot component is a main-sequence star that is accreting matter from the cool component via Roche lobe overflow （RLOF）. The RLOF can be divided into two cases： dynamically unstable and stable. In the first case, the birthrate of symbiotic stars is 0.056 yr^- 1 or 0.045 yr^-1 depending on different assumptions; in the stable RLOF case, it is 0.002 yr^-1 or 0.005yr^-1. The number of symbiotic stars with main-sequence accretors and unstable RLOF in our galaxy is about 5, that with stable RLOF is about 60 to 280. Comparison between our results with those of Yungelson et al. shows that symbiotic stars with MS accretors make only a small contribution （ ≤ 8%） to the whole population of symbiotic stars in the Galaxy.展开更多
We present a comprehensive analysis of the 2021 outburst of MAXI J1803–298 utilizing observations of the Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(Insight-HXMT)spanning from the low hard state to the high soft state.Wi...We present a comprehensive analysis of the 2021 outburst of MAXI J1803–298 utilizing observations of the Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(Insight-HXMT)spanning from the low hard state to the high soft state.Within the Insight-HXMT data set,compared to the previous work,we identify a more prolonged presence of typeC quasi-periodic oscillations(QPOs)with centroid frequencies ranging from~0.16 to 6.3 Hz,which present correlations with the hardness ratio and the photon index of the Comptonized component.For QPO frequencies less than~2 Hz,the QPO phase lags are hard(photons of 10–19 keV arrive later than those of 1–4 keV),while at higher frequencies,the lags become soft at and above~4 Hz.Furthermore,the spectra in all Insight-HXMT observations consist of a multi-color blackbody component and a Comptonized component,as commonly observed in classical black hole X-ray binaries.We analyze state transitions and the evolution of accretion geometry in this work.The fitted inner disk radius increases abnormally during the low hard state,hypothesized to result from the corona condensing onto the inner disk.Additionally,two significant drops in flux are observed during the soft intermediate state,maybe implying changes in the corona/jet and the disk,respectively.展开更多
The X-ray flares have usually been ascribed to long-lasting activities of the central engine of gamma-ray bursts(GRBs),e.g.,fallback accretion.The GRB X-ray plateaus,however,favor a millisecond magnetar central engine...The X-ray flares have usually been ascribed to long-lasting activities of the central engine of gamma-ray bursts(GRBs),e.g.,fallback accretion.The GRB X-ray plateaus,however,favor a millisecond magnetar central engine.The fallback accretion can be significantly suppressed due to the propeller effect of a magnetar.Therefore,if the propeller regime cannot resist the mass flow onto the surface of the magnetar efficiently,the X-ray flares raising upon the magnetar plateau would be expected.In this work,such peculiar cases are connected to the accretion process of the magnetars,and an implication for magnetar-disc structure is given.We investigate the repeated accretion process with multi-flare GRB 050730,and give a discussion for the accretion-induced variation of the magnetic field in GRB 111209 A.Two or more flares exhibit in the GRB 050730,060607 A and 140304 A;by adopting magnetar mass M=1.4 M_(⊙)and radius R=12 km,the average mass flow rates of the corresponding surrounding disk are 3.53×10^(-4)M_(⊙)s^(-1).4.23×10^(-4)M_(⊙)s^(-1),and 4.33×10^(-4)M_(⊙)s^(-1),and the corresponding average sizes of the magnetosphere are 5.01×10^(6)cm,6.45 x 10^(-6)cm,and 1.09×10^(-7)cm,respectively.A statistic analysis that contains eight GRBs within 12 flares shows that the total mass loading in single flare is~2×10^(-5)M_(⊙).In the lost mass of a disk,there are about 0.1%used to feed a collimated jet.展开更多
We report an indication （3.22 or） of ≈ 1860 Hz quasi-periodic oscillations from a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-536. If confirmed, this will be by far the highest frequency feature observed from an acc...We report an indication （3.22 or） of ≈ 1860 Hz quasi-periodic oscillations from a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-536. If confirmed, this will be by far the highest frequency feature observed from an accreting neutron star system, and hence could be very useful in understanding such systems. This plausible timing feature was observed simultaneously with lower （≈ 585 Hz） and upper （≈ 904 Hz） kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations. The two kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation frequencies had a ratio of ≈ 1.5, and the frequency of the alleged ≈ 1860 Hz feature was close to the triple and the double values of these frequencies. This can be useful for constraining the models of all the three features. In particular, the ≈ 1860Hz feature could be （1） from a new and heretofore unknown class of quasi-periodic oscillations, or （2） the first observed overtone of lower or upper kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations. Finally, we note that, although the relatively low significance of the ≈ 1860 Hz feature argues for caution, even a 3.22 σ feature at such a uniquely high frequency should be interesting enough to spur a systematic search in the archival data, as well as to scientifically motivate sufficiently large timing instruments for the next generation X-ray missions.展开更多
In this paper,we have investigated accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars,which are rapidly rotating neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries.These systems exhibit coherent X-ray pulsations that arise when the accretion ...In this paper,we have investigated accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars,which are rapidly rotating neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries.These systems exhibit coherent X-ray pulsations that arise when the accretion flow is magnetically channeled to the stellar surface.Here,we have developed the fundamental equations for an accretion disk around accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars in the presence of a dynamo generated magnetic field in the inner part of the disk.We have also formulated the numerical method for the structure equations in the inner region of the disk and the highest accretion rate is enough to form the inner region of the disk,which is overpowered by radiation pressure and electron scattering.Finally,we have examined our results with the effects of dynamo magnetic fields on accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars.展开更多
We examine systematically the observed X-ray luminosity jumps(or flares) from quiescent states in millisecond binary pulsars(MSBPs) and high-mass X-ray binary pulsars(HMXBPs). We rely on the published X-ray light curv...We examine systematically the observed X-ray luminosity jumps(or flares) from quiescent states in millisecond binary pulsars(MSBPs) and high-mass X-ray binary pulsars(HMXBPs). We rely on the published X-ray light curves of seven pulsars: four HMXBPs, two MSBPs and the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar M82 X-2. We discuss the physics of their flaring activities or lack thereof, paying special attention to their emission properties when they are found on the propeller line, inside the Corbet gap or near the light-cylinder barrier. We provide guiding principles for future interpretations of faint X-ray observations, as well as a method of constraining the propeller lines and the dipolar surface magnetic fields of pulsars using a variety of quiescent states. In the process, we clarify some disturbing inaccuracies that have made their way into the published literature.展开更多
In accreting neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), the turbulent flow in accretion disk may show magnetic structures. Its emission will vary in time due to inhomogeneous motions through and with the accre...In accreting neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), the turbulent flow in accretion disk may show magnetic structures. Its emission will vary in time due to inhomogeneous motions through and with the accretion flow. These emissions contribute to considerable X-ray variability on a wide range of timescales in all wavelengths, and down to milliseconds. In this article, we give a brief review for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), one of a periodic X-ray variability, in NS/ LMXBs. Firstly, we give a brief introduction to NS/LMXBs and the fruitful QPO components. As an example, the energy dependence of normal branch oscillations in Scorpius X-1 is discussed. We mostly focus on the properties and mechanism of kilohertz QPOs—the fastest variability components that have the same order as the dynamical timescales of the innermost regions of accretion flow. Finally, we discuss the success and questions for theoretical interpretations and present the possible entry for investigation of nature of QPOs.展开更多
The Swift/XRT detected the X-ray afterglow of long burst GRB 220117A,which began to rebrighten 300 s after triggering and followed a single power-law decay segment after thousands of seconds of the orbital observation...The Swift/XRT detected the X-ray afterglow of long burst GRB 220117A,which began to rebrighten 300 s after triggering and followed a single power-law decay segment after thousands of seconds of the orbital observation gap.This segment is different from the shallow decay segment(plateau)and flare,and may belong to a giant X-ray bump.We investigated this segment by the fall-back accretion model and found that the model can interpret this segment with reasonable parameter values.Within this physical model scenario,the fall-back accretion rate reaches a peak value~1.70×10~(-5)M_⊙s~(-1)around 300 s in the central engine frame,which is compatible with the late mass supply rate of some low-metallicity massive progenitor stars.The initial black hole(BH)spin is a_0=0.64_(-0.26)~(+0.24)and implies that this re-brightening signature requires a larger BH spin.The total accretion mass during the fall-back process is M_(acc)=(3.09±0.02)×10~(-2)M_⊙.The jet energy from the fall-back accretion is(9.77±0.65)×10~(52)erg,with a ratio of 0.066 to the isotropic-equivalent radiation energies of the GRB prompt phase in the 1-10~4 keV band.The fall-back radius r_p corresponding to the peak time of fall-back t_p is(3.16±0.05)×10~(10)cm,which is consistent with the typical radius of Wolf-Rayet stars.In summary,our results provide additional support for the origin of the long burst from the core collapse of Wolf-Rayet stars,and its late central engine activity is likely due to the fall-back accretion process.展开更多
Galactic transient black hole candidate(BHC)MAXI J1836–194 was discovered on 2011 Aug30,by MAXI/GSC and Swift/BAT.The source activity during this outburst continued for^3 months before entering into the quiescent sta...Galactic transient black hole candidate(BHC)MAXI J1836–194 was discovered on 2011 Aug30,by MAXI/GSC and Swift/BAT.The source activity during this outburst continued for^3 months before entering into the quiescent state.It again became active in March 2012 and continued for another^2 months.In this paper,3-25 keV RXTE/PCA spectra from the 2011 outburst and 0.5-10.0 keV Swift/XRT data during its 2012 outburst are analyzed with the two-component advective flow(TCAF)model based fits files in XSPEC.We calculate the X-ray contributions coming from jets/outflow using a newly developed method based on the deviation of the TCAF model normalization.We also study the correlation between observed radio and estimated jet X-ray fluxes.The correlation indices(b)are found to be 1.79 and 0.61,when the 7.45 GHz Very Large Array(VLA)radio flux is correlated with the total X-ray and jet X-ray fluxes in 3-25 keV range respectively.It has been found that the jet contributes in X-rays up to a maximum of 86%during its 2011 outburst.This makes the BHC MAXI J1836–194 strongly jet dominated during the initial rising phase.展开更多
基金supported in part by the National Program on Key Research and Development Project (Grant No.2016YFA0400804)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.11103062,U1531130 and 11333005)+1 种基金support by the FAST Scholar fellowshipsupported by Special Funding for Advanced Users,budgeted and administered by the Center for Astronomical Mega-Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAMS)
文摘Observations of black hole and neutron star X-ray binaries show that the luminosity of the hard-to-soft state transition is usually higher than that of the soft-to-hard state transition,indicating additional parameters other than mass accretion rate are required to interpret spectral state transitions.It has been found in some individual black hole or neutron star soft X-ray transients that the luminosity corresponding to the hard-to-soft state transition is positively correlated with the peak luminosity of the following soft state. In this work,we report the discovery of the same correlation in the single persistent neutron star low mass X-ray binary（LMXB） 4 U 1636–536 based on data from the All Sky Monitor（ASM） on board RXTE,the Gas Slit Camera（GSC） on board MAXI and the Burst Alert Telescope（BAT） on board Swift. We also found such a positive correlation holds in this persistent neutron star LMXB in a luminosity range spanning about a factor of four. Our results indicate that non-stationary accretion also plays an important role in driving X-ray spectral state transitions in persistent accreting systems with small accretion flares,which is much less dramatic compared with the bright outbursts seen in many Galactic LMXB transients.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12163001,U1938117 and U1731238)the Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Foundation(Grant No.[2020]1Y016)。
文摘Applying the timing tools of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations(k Hz QPOs)and cross-correlations,we study the influence of the magnetosphere-disk relation on the X-ray radiation process of GX 17+2.First,as the spectral state track of X-ray emission evolves along the horizontal branch(HB),the magnetosphere-disk radii of the source derived by k Hz QPOs shrink from r~24 km to r~18 km,while its average X-ray intensities in≤10 ke V and in≥10 ke V show the opposite evolutional trends.Moreover,this branch has been detected with the anti-correlations between the low-/high-energy(e.g.,2–5 ke V/16–30 ke V)X-rays.We suggest that in HB there may exist an X-ray radiation transfer process at the disk radii near the neutron star(NS),i.e.,~5–10 km away from the surface,which probably originates from the interaction between the corona or jet with high-energy X-rays and accretion disk with low-energy X-rays.Second,as the source evolves along the normal branch(NB)and along the flaring branch(FB),their average X-ray intensities in all~2–30 ke V show the monotonously decreasing and monotonously increasing trends,respectively.In addition,these two branches are both dominated by the positive correlations between the low-and high-energy(e.g.,2–5 ke V/16–30 ke V)X-rays.Moreover,the evolution along NB is accompanied by the shrinking of the magnetosphere-disk radii from r~18 km to r~16 km.We ascribe these phenomena to that as the shrinking of the accretion disk radius,the piled up accretion matter around the NS surface may trigger the radiation that produces both the low-and high-energy X-rays simultaneously,and then form the branches of NB and FB.
基金supported by theNational Key Research and Development Program ofChina (2016YFA0400803)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant Nos. 11333004,11773015 and 11573016)+1 种基金Project U1838201 supported by NSFC and CASthe Program for Innovative Research Team (in Science and Technology) at the University of Henan Province
文摘We employ the supernova fallback disk model to simulate the spin evolution of isolated young neutron stars(NSs). We consider the submergence of the NS magnetic fields during the supercritical accretion stage and its succeeding reemergence. It is shown that the evolution of the spin periods and the magnetic fields in this model is able to account for the relatively weak magnetic fields of central compact objects and the measured braking indices of young pulsars. For a range of initial parameters, evolutionary links can be established among various kinds of NS sub-populations including magnetars, central compact objects and young pulsars. Thus, the diversity of young NSs could be unified in the framework of the supernova fallback accretion model.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘Simultaneous multi-wavelength observations have revealed complex variability in AGNs. To explain the variability we considered a theoretical model consisting of an inner hot comptonizing corona and an outer thin accretion disk, with interactions between the two components in the form of comptonization and reprocessing. We found that the variability of AGNs is strongly affected by the parameters of the model, namely, the truncated disk radius rmin, the corona radius rs, the temperature KTe and the optical depth TO of the corona. We applied this model to the two best observed Seyfert 1 galaxies, NGC 5548 and NGC 4051. Our model can reproduce satisfactory the observed SEDs. Our fits indicate that NGC 5548 may have experienced dramatic changes in physical parameters between 1989-1990 and 1998, and that NGC 4051 has a much larger truncated disk radius （700 Schwarzschild radii） than NGC 5548 （several tens of Schwarzschild radii）. Since we adopted a more refined treatment of the comptonization process rather than simply assuming a cut-off power law, our results should be more reasonable than the previous ones.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 10703002
文摘We propose a three-stage model with Blandford-Znajek （BZ） and hyperaccretion process to interpret the recent observations of early afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts （GRBs）. In the first stage, the prompt GRB is powered by a rotating black hole （BH） invoking the BZ process. The second stage is a quiet stage, in which the BZ process is shut off, and the accretion onto the BH is depressed by the torque exerted by the magnetic coupling （MC） process. Part of the rotational energy transported by the MC process from the BH is stored in the disk as magnetic energy. In the third stage, the MC process is shut off when the magnetic energy in the disk accumulates and triggers magnetic instability. At this moment, the hyperaccretion process may set in, and the jet launched in this restarted central engine generates the observed X-ray flares. This model can account for the energies and timescales of GRBs with X-ray flares observed in early afterglows.
基金support of the NASA High Energy Astrophysics Programssupported by UGC through the RFSMS scheme
文摘To investigate the geometry of the accretion disk in the source H1743-322, we have carried out a detailed X-ray temporal and spectral study using RXTE pointed observations. We have selected all data pertaining to the Steep Power Law （SPL） state during the 2003 outburst of this source. We find anti-correlated hard X-ray lags in three of the observations and the changes in the spectral and timing parameters （like the QPO frequency） confirm the idea of a truncated accretion disk in this source, Compiling data from similar observations of other sources, we find a correlation between the fractional change in the QPO frequency and the observed delay. We suggest that these observations indicate a definite size scale in the inner accretion disk （the radius of the truncated disk） and we explain the observed correlation using various disk parameters like Compton cooling time scale, viscous time scale etc..
基金This research has made use of data and/or software provided by the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center(HEASARC)which is a service of the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA/GSFC and the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory+5 种基金This research has made use of the NuSTAR Data Analysis Software(NuSTARDAS)jointly developed by the ASI Science Data Center(ASDC,Italy)California Institute of Technology(Caltech,USA)This work has made use of XRT data supplied by the UK Swift Science Data Centre at the University of Leicester,UK.A.J.and N.K.acknowledge support from the research fellowship from Physical Research Laboratory,Ahmedabad,Indiafunded by the Department of Space,Government of India for this work.K.C.acknowledges support from the DST/INSPIRE Fellowship(IF170233)R.B.acknowledges support from the CSIR-UGC NET qualified UGC fellowship(June-2018,527223)Research by S.K.C.and D.D.is supported in part by the Higher Education Dept.of the Govt.of West Bengal,India.S.K.C.and D.D.also acknowledge partial support from ISRO sponsored RESPOND project(ISRO/RES/2/418/17-18)fund.H.-K.C.is supported by MOST of Taiwan under grants MOST/106-2923-M-007-002-MY3 and MOST/108-2112-M-007-003.D.D.acknowledges support from DST/GITA sponsored India-Taiwan collaborative project(GITA/DST/TWN/P-76/2017)fund.
文摘We present the results obtained from detailed timing and spectral studies of a black hole candidate MAXI J1813-095 using Swift,NICER,and NuSTAR observations during its 2018 outburst.The timing behavior of the source is mainly studied by examining NICER light curves in the 0.5−10 keV range.We did not find any signature of quasi-periodic oscillations in the power density spectra of the source.We carry out spectral analysis with a combined disk blackbody&power law model,and physical two-component advective flow(TCAF)model.From the combined disk blackbody&power-law model,we extracted thermal and non-thermal fluxes,photon index and inner disk temperature.We also find evidence for weak reflection in the spectra.We have tested the physical TCAF model on a broadband spectrum from NuSTAR and Swift/XRT.The parameters like mass accretion rates,the size of Compton clouds and the shock strength are extracted.Our result affirms that the source remained in the hard state during the entire outburst which indicates a‘failed’outburst.We estimate the mass of the black hole as 7.4±1.5M⊙from the spectral study with the TCAF model.We apply the LAOR model for the Fe K line emission.From this,the spin parameter of the black hole is ascertained as a^(∗)>0.76.The inclination angle of the system is estimated to be in the range of 28°−45°from the reflection model.We find the source distance to be∼6 kpc.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘We suggest a two-dimensional time dependent analytic model to describe the accretion of matter onto a neutron star moving at a high speed across the ejecta left in the aftermath of a supernova explosion. The formation of a strange star resulting from the accretion is also addressed. The newborn neutron star is assumed to move outward at a kick velocity of Vns- 10^3 kin s^-1, and the accretion flow is treated as a dust flow. When the neutron star travels across the ejecta with high speed, it sweeps up material, and when the accreted mass has reached a critical value, the neutron star will undergo a phase transition, for instance, to become a strange star. Our results show that the accretion rate decreases in a complicated way in time, not just a power law dependence： it drops much faster than the power law derived by Colpi et al. We also found that the total accreted mass and the phase transition of the neutron star depend sensitively on the velocity of supernova ejecta.
文摘Using the data from the Proportional Counter Array on board theRossi X-Ray Timing Explorersatellite, we study the orbital modulation for the spectrum and mass accretion rate of Cir X-1 during its two orbital periods. We use a model consisting of a blackbody, a multicolor disk blackbody, and a line component to fit the spectrum and find that the spectrum is obviously modulated by the orbital phase. It is shown that the disk accretion rate in Cir X-1 undergoes three states during the orbital period. At the periastron with orbital phase 0-0.1, the disk accretion rate is sup-Eddington, then from phase 0.1 to the apastron (phase 0.5) it decreases dramatically and becomes near-Eddington, and from the apastron to the next periastron (phase 1) the disk accretion rate approximates Eddington and tends to be steady. We argue that the evolution of the disk accretion rate is attributed to the high orbital eccentricity of this source. The mass accretion rate onto the neutron star is much less than that onto the inner disk, indicating significant outflows in this source.
基金supported by the Asher Fund for Space Research at the Technionthe E. and J. Bishop Research Fund at the Technion
文摘We propose that sub-Keplerian accretion belts around stars might launch jets. The sub-Keplerian inflow does not form a rotationally supported accretion disk, but it rather reaches the accreting object from a wide solid angle. The basic ingredients of the flow are a turbulent region where the accretion belt interacts with the accreting object via a shear layer, and two avoidance regions on the poles where the accretion rate is very low. A dynamo that is developed in the shear layer amplifies magnetic fields to high values. It is likely that the amplified magnetic fields form polar outflows from the avoidance regions. Our speculative belt-launched jets model has implications on a rich variety of astrophysical objects, from the removal of common envelopes to the explosion of core collapse supernovae by jittering jets.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grants 11333004, 11133005, 11573051 and U1531130the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under grant 20720150032+5 种基金supported in part by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS (id. 2016243)the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, grant 2014CB845800)the Strategic Priority Research Program ‘The Emergence of Cosmological Structures’ of CAS (grant XDB09000000)the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teamsthe Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (grant 17ZR1435800)sponsored in part by Shanghai Sailing Program (No. 17YF1422600)
文摘A model of an inhomogeneous accretion flow,in which cold clumps are surrounded by hot gas or corona,has been proposed to explain the spectral features of black hole X-ray binaries.In this work,we try to find possible observational features in the continuum that can indicate the existence of clumps.The spectra of an inhomogeneous accretion flow are calculated via the Monte Carlo method.Since the corresponding accretion flow is unsteady and complex,the accretion flow is described by a set of free parameters,the ranges of which can include the real cases.The influences of the parameters are investigated.It is found that the thermal component of the spectra deviates from multi-color black body spectra in the middle power-law part.On one hand,a warp appears due to the gaps between the clumps and the outer cold disk,and on the other hand,the slope of the line connecting the thermal peaks deviates from 4/3.The warp feature,as well as the correlation between the thermal peak at higher frequency and the spectral index,possibly indicate the existence of clumps,and are worthy of further investigation with more self-consistent models.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘Using a population synthesis code, we have investigated the formation of symbiotic systems in which the hot component is a main-sequence star that is accreting matter from the cool component via Roche lobe overflow （RLOF）. The RLOF can be divided into two cases： dynamically unstable and stable. In the first case, the birthrate of symbiotic stars is 0.056 yr^- 1 or 0.045 yr^-1 depending on different assumptions; in the stable RLOF case, it is 0.002 yr^-1 or 0.005yr^-1. The number of symbiotic stars with main-sequence accretors and unstable RLOF in our galaxy is about 5, that with stable RLOF is about 60 to 280. Comparison between our results with those of Yungelson et al. shows that symbiotic stars with MS accretors make only a small contribution （ ≤ 8%） to the whole population of symbiotic stars in the Galaxy.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFA0718500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,Grant No.12133007)partially supported by the International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.113111KYSB20190020)。
文摘We present a comprehensive analysis of the 2021 outburst of MAXI J1803–298 utilizing observations of the Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(Insight-HXMT)spanning from the low hard state to the high soft state.Within the Insight-HXMT data set,compared to the previous work,we identify a more prolonged presence of typeC quasi-periodic oscillations(QPOs)with centroid frequencies ranging from~0.16 to 6.3 Hz,which present correlations with the hardness ratio and the photon index of the Comptonized component.For QPO frequencies less than~2 Hz,the QPO phase lags are hard(photons of 10–19 keV arrive later than those of 1–4 keV),while at higher frequencies,the lags become soft at and above~4 Hz.Furthermore,the spectra in all Insight-HXMT observations consist of a multi-color blackbody component and a Comptonized component,as commonly observed in classical black hole X-ray binaries.We analyze state transitions and the evolution of accretion geometry in this work.The fitted inner disk radius increases abnormally during the low hard state,hypothesized to result from the corona condensing onto the inner disk.Additionally,two significant drops in flux are observed during the soft intermediate state,maybe implying changes in the corona/jet and the disk,respectively.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U1938201)the Guangxi Science Foundation the One-Hundred-Talents Program of Guangxi colleges,the Guangxi Science Foundation(Grant No.2017GXNSFFA198008)Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education(Grant No.YCBZ2020025)。
文摘The X-ray flares have usually been ascribed to long-lasting activities of the central engine of gamma-ray bursts(GRBs),e.g.,fallback accretion.The GRB X-ray plateaus,however,favor a millisecond magnetar central engine.The fallback accretion can be significantly suppressed due to the propeller effect of a magnetar.Therefore,if the propeller regime cannot resist the mass flow onto the surface of the magnetar efficiently,the X-ray flares raising upon the magnetar plateau would be expected.In this work,such peculiar cases are connected to the accretion process of the magnetars,and an implication for magnetar-disc structure is given.We investigate the repeated accretion process with multi-flare GRB 050730,and give a discussion for the accretion-induced variation of the magnetic field in GRB 111209 A.Two or more flares exhibit in the GRB 050730,060607 A and 140304 A;by adopting magnetar mass M=1.4 M_(⊙)and radius R=12 km,the average mass flow rates of the corresponding surrounding disk are 3.53×10^(-4)M_(⊙)s^(-1).4.23×10^(-4)M_(⊙)s^(-1),and 4.33×10^(-4)M_(⊙)s^(-1),and the corresponding average sizes of the magnetosphere are 5.01×10^(6)cm,6.45 x 10^(-6)cm,and 1.09×10^(-7)cm,respectively.A statistic analysis that contains eight GRBs within 12 flares shows that the total mass loading in single flare is~2×10^(-5)M_(⊙).In the lost mass of a disk,there are about 0.1%used to feed a collimated jet.
文摘We report an indication （3.22 or） of ≈ 1860 Hz quasi-periodic oscillations from a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-536. If confirmed, this will be by far the highest frequency feature observed from an accreting neutron star system, and hence could be very useful in understanding such systems. This plausible timing feature was observed simultaneously with lower （≈ 585 Hz） and upper （≈ 904 Hz） kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations. The two kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation frequencies had a ratio of ≈ 1.5, and the frequency of the alleged ≈ 1860 Hz feature was close to the triple and the double values of these frequencies. This can be useful for constraining the models of all the three features. In particular, the ≈ 1860Hz feature could be （1） from a new and heretofore unknown class of quasi-periodic oscillations, or （2） the first observed overtone of lower or upper kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations. Finally, we note that, although the relatively low significance of the ≈ 1860 Hz feature argues for caution, even a 3.22 σ feature at such a uniquely high frequency should be interesting enough to spur a systematic search in the archival data, as well as to scientifically motivate sufficiently large timing instruments for the next generation X-ray missions.
基金the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology InstituteEntoto Observatory and Research CenterAstronomy and Astrophysics Research and Development Department for supporting this research。
文摘In this paper,we have investigated accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars,which are rapidly rotating neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries.These systems exhibit coherent X-ray pulsations that arise when the accretion flow is magnetically channeled to the stellar surface.Here,we have developed the fundamental equations for an accretion disk around accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars in the presence of a dynamo generated magnetic field in the inner part of the disk.We have also formulated the numerical method for the structure equations in the inner region of the disk and the highest accretion rate is enough to form the inner region of the disk,which is overpowered by radiation pressure and electron scattering.Finally,we have examined our results with the effects of dynamo magnetic fields on accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars.
基金supported by NASA grant NNX14-AF77Gsupported by a NASA ADAP grant
文摘We examine systematically the observed X-ray luminosity jumps(or flares) from quiescent states in millisecond binary pulsars(MSBPs) and high-mass X-ray binary pulsars(HMXBPs). We rely on the published X-ray light curves of seven pulsars: four HMXBPs, two MSBPs and the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar M82 X-2. We discuss the physics of their flaring activities or lack thereof, paying special attention to their emission properties when they are found on the propeller line, inside the Corbet gap or near the light-cylinder barrier. We provide guiding principles for future interpretations of faint X-ray observations, as well as a method of constraining the propeller lines and the dipolar surface magnetic fields of pulsars using a variety of quiescent states. In the process, we clarify some disturbing inaccuracies that have made their way into the published literature.
文摘In accreting neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), the turbulent flow in accretion disk may show magnetic structures. Its emission will vary in time due to inhomogeneous motions through and with the accretion flow. These emissions contribute to considerable X-ray variability on a wide range of timescales in all wavelengths, and down to milliseconds. In this article, we give a brief review for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), one of a periodic X-ray variability, in NS/ LMXBs. Firstly, we give a brief introduction to NS/LMXBs and the fruitful QPO components. As an example, the energy dependence of normal branch oscillations in Scorpius X-1 is discussed. We mostly focus on the properties and mechanism of kilohertz QPOs—the fastest variability components that have the same order as the dynamical timescales of the innermost regions of accretion flow. Finally, we discuss the success and questions for theoretical interpretations and present the possible entry for investigation of nature of QPOs.
文摘The Swift/XRT detected the X-ray afterglow of long burst GRB 220117A,which began to rebrighten 300 s after triggering and followed a single power-law decay segment after thousands of seconds of the orbital observation gap.This segment is different from the shallow decay segment(plateau)and flare,and may belong to a giant X-ray bump.We investigated this segment by the fall-back accretion model and found that the model can interpret this segment with reasonable parameter values.Within this physical model scenario,the fall-back accretion rate reaches a peak value~1.70×10~(-5)M_⊙s~(-1)around 300 s in the central engine frame,which is compatible with the late mass supply rate of some low-metallicity massive progenitor stars.The initial black hole(BH)spin is a_0=0.64_(-0.26)~(+0.24)and implies that this re-brightening signature requires a larger BH spin.The total accretion mass during the fall-back process is M_(acc)=(3.09±0.02)×10~(-2)M_⊙.The jet energy from the fall-back accretion is(9.77±0.65)×10~(52)erg,with a ratio of 0.066 to the isotropic-equivalent radiation energies of the GRB prompt phase in the 1-10~4 keV band.The fall-back radius r_p corresponding to the peak time of fall-back t_p is(3.16±0.05)×10~(10)cm,which is consistent with the typical radius of Wolf-Rayet stars.In summary,our results provide additional support for the origin of the long burst from the core collapse of Wolf-Rayet stars,and its late central engine activity is likely due to the fall-back accretion process.
基金support from DST/GITA sponsored by the India-Taiwan collaborative project fund(GITA/DST/TWN/P-76/2017)support from DST/SERB sponsored by the Extra Mural Research project(EMR/2016/003918)+1 种基金supported in part by the Higher Education Dept.of the Govt.of West Bengal,Indiasupport from the ISRO sponsored RESPOND project(ISRO/RES/2/418/17-18)fund.
文摘Galactic transient black hole candidate(BHC)MAXI J1836–194 was discovered on 2011 Aug30,by MAXI/GSC and Swift/BAT.The source activity during this outburst continued for^3 months before entering into the quiescent state.It again became active in March 2012 and continued for another^2 months.In this paper,3-25 keV RXTE/PCA spectra from the 2011 outburst and 0.5-10.0 keV Swift/XRT data during its 2012 outburst are analyzed with the two-component advective flow(TCAF)model based fits files in XSPEC.We calculate the X-ray contributions coming from jets/outflow using a newly developed method based on the deviation of the TCAF model normalization.We also study the correlation between observed radio and estimated jet X-ray fluxes.The correlation indices(b)are found to be 1.79 and 0.61,when the 7.45 GHz Very Large Array(VLA)radio flux is correlated with the total X-ray and jet X-ray fluxes in 3-25 keV range respectively.It has been found that the jet contributes in X-rays up to a maximum of 86%during its 2011 outburst.This makes the BHC MAXI J1836–194 strongly jet dominated during the initial rising phase.
