Analysis and interpretation of X-ray pulsars
Abstract
By careful measurements of the fluctuations in pulsar pulse periods on time scales of days and longer, researchers determined that these fluctuations are caused by changes in the rotation rate of the stellar crust apparently arising from matter accretion. The study of these fluctuations is a particularly promising way to determine the properties of accreting pulsars, because stellar rotation is relatively simple in comparison to much other X-ray source physics and can be investigated in detail. Rotation rates can be determined precisely.
- Publication:
-
Final Technical Report Washington Univ
- Pub Date:
- August 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987uwsa.rept.....B
- Keywords:
-
- Pulsars;
- Stellar Mass Accretion;
- Stellar Rotation;
- Variations;
- X Ray Sources;
- Rates (Per Time);
- Stellar Physics;
- Astrophysics