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Title:
A search for spectral features in photospheric radius-expansion X-ray bursts with Chandra
Authors:
Galloway, Duncan; Marshall, Herman; Yao, Yangsen; Weinberg, Nevin; Misanovic, Zdenka
Affiliation:
AA(Monash University) AB(MIT) AC(U. Colorado) AD(Berkeley) AE(Monash)
Publication:
Chandra's First Decade of Discovery, Proceedings of the conference held 22-25 September, 2009 in Boston, MA. Edited by Scott Wolk, Antonella Fruscione, and Douglas Swartz, abstract #103
Publication Date:
09/2009
Origin:
AUTHOR
Keywords:
Accretion and Outflows
Bibliographic Code:
2009cfdd.confE.103G

Abstract

Spectral features arising from the surface of neutron stars are a high priority for observers, since they allow measurement of the gravitational redshift, in turn providing clues as to the neutron star equation of state. Such searches have a long history, but are yet to provide robust, reproducible results. I describe a search for such features in the spectra of an infrequent type of thermonuclear burst, that is sufficiently intense to exceed the Eddington flux at the surface and eject the outer layers of the photosphere. Recent theoretical work has suggested that such ``photospheric radius-expansion'' bursts may drive outflows containing ashes from previous bursts, and imprint photoionisation edges on the observed spectrum. We present analysis of the six radius-expansion bursts observed so far by Chandra, which offer as yet no evidence of discrete lines or edges. However, the accumulated signal from the peak of these six bursts is not yet sufficient to give sensitivity at the theoretically-predicted level. An observational program with Chandra triggered by observations with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer is currently active and aims to add substantially to the accumulated signal.
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