On the Spin Period of the Neutron Star in the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source M51 ULX-8

Year 2021, Issue: 25, 525 - 530, 31.08.2021

Mehmet Hakan Erkut

https://doi.org/10.31590/ejosat.931622

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The recent discovery of periodic pulsations from several members of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) family in nearby galaxies as well as in our own galaxy unveiled the nature of the accreting compact object. Neutron stars rather than black holes are currently believed to power a substantial number of ULXs whether or not pulsations are observed. The detection of cyclotron absorption lines in the X-ray spectrum of a ULX provides an alternative way to identify the compact object as a neutron star. Among the non-pulsating ULXs, the presence of a cyclotron resonance scattering feature (CRSF) in the spectrum of M51 ULX-8 has been reported. In the present work, the magnetic field strength on the surface of the neutron star in M51 ULX-8 is inferred from the energy of the observed CRSF to estimate the beaming fraction in X-ray emission and more importantly the observable range for the elusive neutron-star spin period to be hopefully discovered by the forthcoming space missions in the near future.

Keywords

Neutron stars, Accretion, X-ray binary stars

Supporting Institution

yok

Project Number

yok

Thanks

The author is a member of Feza Gürsey Center for Physics and Mathematics at Boğaziçi University

Aşırı Parlak X-Işın Kaynağı M51 ULX-8’deki Nötron Yıldızının Dönme Periyodu Üzerine

Abstract

Galaksimizi de içermek üzere yakın galaksilerdeki aşırı parlak X-ışın kaynak (APX) ailesinin bazı üyelerinden geldiği kısa süre önce keşfedilen periyodik pulsasyonlar madde yığıştıran yoğun cismin doğasını ortaya çıkarmıştır. Pulsasyon gözlensin veya gözlenmesin, günümüzde, önemli sayıda APX’e karadeliklerden daha çok nötron yıldızlarının güç sağladığına inanılmaktadır. Bir APX’in X-ışın tayfındaki siklotron soğurma çizgilerinin saptanması yoğun cismin bir nötron yıldızı olarak tanımlanabilmesi için alternatif bir yol sağlamaktadır. Pulsasyon göstermeyen APX’lerin arasında bulunan M51 ULX-8’in tayfındaki bir siklotron rezonans saçılım yapısının (SRSY) varlığı rapor edilmişti. Bu çalışmada, gözlenen SRSY’nin enerjisinden M51 ULX-8’deki nötron yıldızının yüzeyindeki manyetik alan yeğinliği çıkarsanarak X-ışın salınımındaki hüzmeleme oranı ve daha da önemlisi yakın gelecekteki uzay görevleri sayesinde keşfedilmesi beklenen nötron yıldızının yakalanamamış dönme periyodunun gözlenebilme aralığı kestirilmektedir.

Keywords

Nötron Yıldızları, Yığışma, X-ışın çift yıldızları

Project Number

yok

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