Masses of X-ray bursters and super-Eddington luminosities
Abstract
It is shown that the upper limit to the mass of X-ray bursters and the minimum of the ratio of peak luminosity to Eddington luminosity, kmin, can be determined as functions of the apparent peak luminosity of a burst and the corresponding blackbody temperature. Observations of a burst recorded with the Einstein Observatory from the globular cluster Terzan 2 and of bursters recorded with the Japanese X-ray satellite Hakucho from XB 1636-536 support the conclusion that the upper limit of the mass of these sources is approximately 1 solar mass and that the ratio kmin is distinctly greater than 5 for an assumed distance of 10 kpc.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- July 1981
- DOI:
- 10.1086/159073
- Bibcode:
- 1981ApJ...247..628H
- Keywords:
-
- Bursts;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Stellar Mass;
- X Ray Sources;
- Black Body Radiation;
- Black Holes (Astronomy);
- Globular Clusters;
- Heao 2;
- Japanese Space Program;
- Neutron Stars;
- Spaceborne Astronomy;
- Stellar Magnetic Fields;
- Stellar Mass Accretion;
- X Ray Astronomy;
- Astrophysics