Constraining neutron star system properties from accretion-powered pulsar bursts

Paper Title:

Inferring system parameters from the bursts of the accretion-powered pulsar IGR J17498-2921

Published on:

25 March 2024

Primary Category:

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Paper Authors:

D. K. Galloway,

A. J. Goodwin,

T. Hilder,

L. Waterson,

M. Cupák

Bullets

Key Details

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Analyzed bursts from 401 Hz pulsar IGR J17498-2921 and constrained system parameters

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Fuel is hydrogen-poor with metallicity ~0.1 solar; distance 5.7 kpc, inclination 60 degrees

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Massive ~2 solar mass neutron star; emission anisotropy affects distance

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Reanalyzed pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658, found closer distance 2.7 kpc explained by anisotropy

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Results inform binary evolution histories for these systems

Explore the topics in this paper

accretion powered pulsars

neutron stars

stellar evolution

thermonuclear bursts

x-ray binaries

AI generated summary

Constraining neutron star system properties from accretion-powered pulsar bursts

Researchers analyzed thermonuclear bursts from the 401 Hz accretion-powered pulsar IGR J17498-2921, discovered during its 2011 outburst. By comparing to numerical simulations, they constrained the system's parameters, including a likely inclination of 60 degrees, distance of 5.7 kpc, massive ~2 solar mass neutron star, and fuel with low hydrogen and metallicity. They also reanalyzed bursts from another pulsar, SAX J1808.4-3658, finding a closer distance of 2.7 kpc, explained by greater burst emission anisotropy. The results have implications for the evolutionary histories of these binary systems.