On steady-state nuclear burning in accreting neutron stars

Ronald E. Taam*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The properties of the hydrogen burning shell in the envelope of an accreting neutron star have been studied for a range of mass accretion rates, neutron star radii, and metal abundances of the accreted matter. It is found that the hydrogen burning shells lie at densities ranging from 105-6×106 gm cm-3. For mass accretion rates in excess of Mc2 hydrogen and helium burn together. For Mc1≲M≲Mc2, the hydrogen burning shell is stabilized by the β limited CNO cycle. Implications of these results to the X-ray burst phenomena are briefly discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)257-265
Number of pages9
JournalAstrophysics and Space Science
Volume77
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1981

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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