Studying Type-I X-ray bursts with NuSTAR

Depending on their rate of accretion, some neutron star sources may exhibit dramatic but short-lived increases in brightness known as type-I X-ray bursts. These bursts occur when accreted material on the surface of the neutron star reaches a critical density and undergoes runaway thermonuclear burning, enveloping the entire star in a matter of seconds. Despite their short durations, type-I X-ray bursts can contain a plethora of information regarding their hosts, including the neutron star rotation period and the composition of the accreting material. NuSTAR's unique combination of spectral, spatial, and timing resolution makes it a powerful tool for studying these bursts, but dead time between photons presents a challenge. I will review the physics and observational features of type-I X-ray bursts, and I will demonstrate how NuSTAR can provide an important look at these phenomena by reviewing examples of type-I X-ray bursts being observed and studied by NuSTAR, including recent work on the transient X-ray binary GRS 1741.9-2853.