CNO Destruction by Spallation and Type I X-Ray Bursts
Abstract
Recent work on the surface boundary conditions of accreting neutron stars indicates that appreciable amounts of CNO elements can be destroyed by spallation. Previous authors assume an accretion of near-solar-abundance material which is not altered by boundary effects. Steady state models of accreting neutron stars are constructed assuming all but traces of metals are destroyed due to spallation in the surface layers. Models with solar accretion for comparison are also constructed. The models are compared with Exosat observations of 4U/MXB 1636 - 53. It is found that the simplifications introduced by assuming CNO destruction does not bring theory closer to describing what is observed.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1086/171173
- Bibcode:
- 1992ApJ...388..555T
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon Isotopes;
- Neutron Stars;
- Nitrogen;
- Nuclear Fusion;
- Oxygen;
- X Ray Sources;
- Accretion Disks;
- Boundary Conditions;
- Exosat Satellite;
- Stellar Models;
- Astrophysics;
- ACCRETION;
- ACCRETION DISKS;
- NUCLEAR REACTIONS;
- NUCLEOSYNTHESIS;
- ABUNDANCES;
- STARS: NEUTRON;
- X-RAYS: BURSTS