The regime of relativistic accretion on X-ray pulsars.
Abstract
Summary. It is shown that all the observational data available on the X-ray pulsars Her X-I, Vela X-I, A 0535 + 26 and GX 1+4 are well explained on the basis of the relativistic accretion process. The sources of X-ray radiation are the surfaces of the accretion column or the drops of the accretion "shower" in which the gas falls with relativistic velocity and a spot at the base of the column. The stellar surface may reflect radiation of the infalling plasma and may be heated by it. It is shown that the magnetic poles of the neutron star may be not diametrically opposite and the accretion streamlines may be curved. In constructing the angular distribution of a pulsar's radiation one should take into account ray declinations in the gravitational field. Key words: neutron star - relativistic accretion - X-ray pulsars
- Publication:
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Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- November 1978
- Bibcode:
- 1978A&A....70..133M
- Keywords:
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- Accretion:X-Ray Sources;
- Neutron Stars:X-Ray Sources