K. A. Postnov

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars — compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.

Theory of quasi-spherical accretion in X-ray pulsars

A theoretical model for quasi-spherical subsonic accretio n onto slowly rotating magnetized neutron stars is constructed. In this model the accr eting matter subsonically settles down onto the rotating magnetosphere forming an extended quasi-static shell. This shell mediates the angular momentum removal from the rotating neutron star magnetosphere during spin-down episodes by large-scale convective motions. The accretion rate through the shell is determined by the abilit y of the plasma to enter the magnetosphere. The settling regime of accretion can be realized for moderate accretion rates ˙ M< ˙ M∗≃ 4× 10 16 g/s. At higher accretion rates a free-fall gap above the neutron star magnetosphere appears due to rapid Compton cooling, and accretion becomes highly non-stationary. From observations of the spin-up/spin-down rates (the angular rotation frequency derivative ˙ ω ∗ , and∂ ˙ ω ∗ /∂ ˙ M near the torque reversal) of X-ray pulsars with known orbital periods, it is possible to d etermine the main dimensionless parameters of the model, as well as to estimate the magnetic field of the neutron star. We illustrate the model by determining these parameters for three wind-fed X-ray pulsars GX 301-2, Vela X-1, and GX 1+4. The model explains both the spin-up/spin-down of the pulsar frequency on large time-scales and the irregular short-term frequency fluctuations, which can correlate or a nti-correlate with the Xray flux fluctuations in di fferent systems. It is shown that in real pulsars an almost iso-angular-momentum rotation law withω∼ 1/R 2 , due to strongly anisotropic radial turbulent motions sustained by large-scale convectio n, is preferred.

Discovery of a flux-related change of the cyclotron line energy in Hercules X-1

Aims. We present the results of ten years of repeated measurements of the Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature (CRSF) in the spectrum of the binary X-ray pulsar Her X-1 and report the discovery of a positive correlation of the centroid energy of this absorption feature in pulse phase averaged spectra with source luminosity. Methods. Our results are based on a uniform analysis of observations by the RXTE satellite from 1996 to 2005, using sufficiently long observations of 12 individual 35-day Main-On states of the source. Results. The mean centroid energy E c of the CRSF in pulse phase averaged spectra of Her X-1 during this time is around 40 keV, with significant variations from one Main-On state to the next. We find that the centroid energy of the CRSF in Her X-1 changes by ~5% in energy for a factor of 2 in luminosity. The correlation is positive, contrary to what is observed in some high luminosity transient pulsars. Conclusions. Our finding is the first significant measurement of a positive correlation between E c and luminosity in any X-ray pulsar. We suggest that this behaviour is expected in the case of sub-Eddington accretion and present a calculation of a quantitative estimate, which is very consistent with the effect observed in Her X-1. We urge that Her X-1 is regularly monitored further and that other X-ray pulsars are investigated for a similar behaviour.We present the results of ten years of repeated measurements of the Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature (CRSF) in the spectrum of the binary X-ray pulsar Her X-1 and report the discovery of a positive correlation of the centroid energy of this absorption feature in pulse phase averaged spectra with source luminosity.Our results are based on a uniform analysis of observations bythe RXTE satellite from 1996 to 2005, using sufficiently long observations of 12 individual 35-day Main-On states of the source. The mean centroid energy E_c of the CRSF in pulse phase averaged spectra of Her X-1 during this time is around 40 keV, with significant variations from one Main-On state to the next. We find that the centroid energy of the CRSF in Her X-1 changes by ~5% in energy for a factor of 2 in luminosity. The correlation is positive, contrary to what is observed in some high luminosity transient pulsars. Our finding is the first significant measurement of a positive correlation between E_c and luminosity in any X-ray pulsar. We suggest that this behaviour is expected in the case of sub-Eddington accretion and present a calculation of a quantitative estimate, which is very consistent with the effect observed in Her X-1.We urge that Her X-1 is regularly monitored further and that other X-ray pulsars are investigated for a similar behaviour.

Gravitational wave astronomy: In Anticipation of first sources to be detected

The first generation of long-baseline laser interferometric detectors of gravitational waves will start collecting data in 2001-2003. We carefully analyse their planned performance and compare it with the expected strengths of astrophysical sources. The scientific importance of the anticipated discovery of various gravitatinal wave signals and the reliability of theoretical predictions are taken into account in our analysis. We try to be conservative both in evaluating the theoretical uncertainties about a source and the prospects of its detection. After having considered many possible sources, we place our emphasis on (1) inspiraling binaries consisting of stellar mass black holes and (2) relic gravitational waves. We draw the conclusion that inspiraling binary black holes are likely to be detected first by the initial ground-based interferometers. We estimate that the initial interferometers will see 2-3 events per year from black hole binaries with component masses 10-15M_\odot, with a signal-to-noise ratio of around 2-3, in each of a network of detectors consisting of GEO, VIRGO and the two LIGOs. It appears that other possible sources, including coalescing neutron stars, are unlikely to be detected by the initial instruments. We also argue that relic gravitational waves may be discovered by the space-based interferometers in the frequency interval 2x10^{-3}-10^{-2} Hz, at the signal-to-noise ratio level around 3.

A hard X-ray survey of the Sagittarius Arm Tangent with the IBIS Telescope of the INTEGRAL Observatory : A Catalog of sources

Analysis of 18-120 keV images of the Sagittarius Arm Tangent region (SATR) obtained by IBIS telescope onboard INTEGTRAL observatory during the spring of 2003 is performed. In the 18-60 keV energy range, 28 sources have been detected with a flux level above 1.4 mCrab. Of these sources, 16 were identified earlier as galactic X-ray binary systems, 3 as extragalactic objects, 2 as pulsars inside supernova remnants, and 7 has unknown nature. The analysis revealed the presence of three previously unknown sources. Fourteen sources show significant flux in the 60-120 keV energy rangeWe analyze the images of the Sagittarius Arm tangent obtained with the IBIS telescope of the INTEGRAL observatory in the energy range 18–120 keV during its observations in the spring of 2003. We detected 28 sources at a statistically significant level with fluxes above 1.4 mCrab in the energy range 18–60 keV. Of these sources, 16 were previously identified as binaries of various classes in our Galaxy, 3 were identified as extragalactic objects, 2 were identified as pulsars in supernova remnants, and 7 sources were of an unknown nature. These observations revealed three new sources. A statistically significant flux in the energy range 60–120 keV was recorded from 13 sources.

Evolution of Supernova Explosion Rates in the Universe

The prospects of detecting extragalactic supernovae (SNs) down to visual magnitudes 23-25 give us hope for observing them in the most distant parts of the universe. Using a Monte Carlo method of stellar population synthesis (the Scenario Machine), we compute, under standard assumptions of stellar evolution, the rates of SNs of various types in a model galaxy and evaluate the SN rates in the universe. The expected cumulative distribution log N - m (number of events - stellar magnitude) is calculated for various SN types and different star formation histories in the universe. The results are also presented in terms of evolution of supernova units with redshifts. Recent observational data on the high-redshift SN Ia rate are in good agreement with our predictions for the relative density of baryons contained in stars at the present time (Ω* = 0.0057).

Quasispherical subsonic accretion in X-ray pulsars

This work considers a theoretical model for quasi-spherical subsonic accretion onto slowly rotating magnetized neutron stars. In this regime the accreting matter settles down subsonically onto the rotating magnetosphere, forming an extended quasi-static shell. The shell mediates the angular momentum transfer to/from the rotating neutron star magnetosphere by large-scale convective motions, which for observed pulsars lead to an almost so-angular-momentum rotation law with ω ∼ 1/R inside the shell. The accretion rate through the shell is determined by the ability of the plasma to enter the magnetosphere due to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities while taking cooling into account. The settling regime of accretion is possible for moderate accretion rates Ṁ . Ṁ∗ ≃ 4 × 10 g/s. At higher accretion rates a free-fall gap above the neutron star magnetosphere appears due to rapid Compton cooling, and accretion becomes highly non-stationary. From observations of spin-up/spin-down rates of quasi-spherically wind accreting equilibrium X-ray pulsars with known orbital periods (like e.g. GX 301-2 and Vela X-1), it is possible to determine the main dimensionless parameters of the model, as well as to estimate the magnetic field on the surface of the neutron star. For equilibrium pulsars with independent measurements of the magnetic field, the model also allows us to estimate the velocity of the stellar wind from the companion without the use of complicated spectroscopic measurements. For non-equilibrium pulsars, it can be shown that there exists a maximum possible value of the spin-down rate of the accreting neutron star. From observations of the spin-down rate and the X-ray luminosity in such pulsars (e. g. GX 1+4, SXP 1062 and 4U 2206+54) we are able to estimate a lower limit on the neutron star magnetic field, which in all exemplified cases turns out to be close to the standard one and in agreement with cyclotron line measurements. The model further explains both the spin-up/spin-down of the pulsar frequency on large time-scales and the irregular short-term frequency fluctuations, which may correlate or anti-correlate with the X-ray luminosity fluctuations, seen in different systems.

INTEGRAL observations of SS433: Results of a coordinated campaign

Results of simultaneous INTEGRAL and optical observations of the galactic microquasar SS433 in May 2003 and INTEGRAL /RXTE observations in March 2004 are presented. Persistent precessional variability with a maximum to minimum uneclipsed hard X-ray flux ratio of ∼ 4 is discovered. The 18-60 keV X-ray eclipse is found to be in phase with optical and near infrared eclipses. The orbital eclipse observed by INTEGRAL in May 2003 is at least two times deeper and apparently wider than in the soft X-ray band. The broadband 2-100 keV X-ray spectrum simultaneously detected by RXTE/INTEGRAL in March 2004 can be explained by bremsstrahlung emission from optically thin thermal plasma with kT ∼ 30 keV. Optical spectroscopy with the 6-m SAO BTA telescope confirmed the optical companion to be an A5-A7 supergiant. For the first time, spectorscopic indications of a strong heating effect in the optical star atmosphere are found. The measurements of absorption lines which are presumably formed on the non-illuminated side of the supergiant yield its radial velocity semi-amplitude Kv = 132 ±9 km/s. The analysis of the observed hard X-ray light curve and the eclipse duration, combined with the spectroscopically determined optical star radial velocity corrected for the strong heating effect, allows us to model SS433 as a massive X-ray binary. Assuming that the hard X-ray source in SS433 is eclipsed by the donor star that exactly fills its Roche lobe, the masses of the optical and compact components in SS433 are suggested to be Mv ≈ 30M⊙ and Mx ≈ 9M⊙, respectively. This provides further evidence that SS433 is a massive binary system with supercritical accretion onto a black hole.

Evolution of the double neutron star merging rate and the cosmological origin of gamma-ray burst sources

Evolution of the coalescence rate of double neutron stars (NS) and neutron star -- black hole (BH) binaries are computed for model galaxies with different star formation rates. Assuming gamma-ray bursts (GRB) to originate from NS+NS or NS+BH merging in distant galaxies, theoretical logN--logS distributions and tests of gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are calculated for the first time taking the computed merging rates into account. We use a flat cosmological model (Omega=1) with different values of the cosmological constant Lambda and under various assumptions about the star formation history in galaxies. The calculated source evolution predicts a 5-10 times increase of the source statistics at count rates 3-10 times lower than the exising BATSE sensitivity limit. The most important parameter in fitting the 2nd BATSE catalogue is the initial redshift of star formation, which is found to be z_*=2-5 depending on a poorly determined average spectral index of GRB.

First LIGO events: binary black holes mergings

Based on evolutionary scenarios for binary stellar evolution we study the merging rates of relativistic binary stars (NS+NS, NS+BH, BH+BH) under different assumptions of BH formation. We find the BH+BH merging rate in the range one per 200,000 – 500,000 year in a Milky-Way type galaxy, while the NS+NS merging rate Rns is approximately 10 times as high, which means that the expected event rate even for high mean kick velocities of NS up to 400 km/s is at least 30-50 binary NS mergings per year from within a distance of 200 Mpc. As typical BH is formed with a mass 3-10 times the NS mass (assumed 1.4 M⊙), the rates obtained imply that the expected detection rate of binary BH by a LIGOtype gravitational wave detector is 10-100 times higher than the binary NS merging rate for a wide range of parameters.