Abstract
Recent data on low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) and msec pulsars (MSPs) pose a challenge to evolutionary theories which neglect the effects of disk and companion irradiation. Here we discuss the main features of a radiation-driven (RD) evolutionary model that may be applicable to several LMXBs. According to this model, radiation from the accreting compact star in LMXBs ‘vaporizes’ the accretion disk and the companion star by driving a self-sustained mass loss until a sudden accretion-turn off occurs. The main characteristics of the RD-evolution are: (1) the lifetime of RD-LMXB’s is of order 107 years or less; (2) both the orbital period gap and the X-ray luminosity may be consequences of RD-evolution of LMXB’s containing lower main sequence and degenerate companion stars; (3) the companion star may transfer mass to the primary even if it underfills its Roche lobe; (4) the recycled msec pulsar can continue to vaporize the low-mass companion star even after the accretion turn-off produced by a strong pulsar wind; (5) the RD-evolutionary model resolves the apparent statistical discrepancy between the number of MSP’s and their LMXB progenitors.
ϕύσıς κρύπτεσθαı ϕıλεεί
Heraclitus
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rappaport, S., Verbunt, F., and Joss, P.C., 1983, Ap. J, 275, 713.
Tavani, M., 1989, in Proc. of the 23rd ESLAB Symposium, ESA SP-296, Vol. 1, p. 241.
Tavani, M., 1990, submitted to Ap. J.
Shaham, J., 1990, these Proceedings.
Tavani, M., Ruderman, M. and Shaham, 1989, Ap. J.(Letters), 342, L31.
Tavani, M., 1990, submitted to Nature.
Kulkarni S.R., and Narayan, R., 1988, Ap. J, 335, 755.
Kulkarni, S., Narayan, R., and Romani, R.W., 1990, Ap.J., 356, 174.
Tavani, M., 1991, Ap.J. (Letters), 366, L27–L31.
Fruchter, A., Goss, D., 1990, Ap.J. (Letters), 365, L63–L66.
Kitamoto, S., Miyamoto, S., and Matsui, W., 1987, P.A.S.J., 39, 259.
Hellier, C, Mason, K.O., Smale, A.P., Kilkenny, D., 1990, M.N.R.A.S., 244, 39P.
Parmar, A.N., Verbunt, F., Smale, A.P., and Corbet, R.H.D., 1991, Ap.J., 366, 253.
Tan, J., et al., 1990, submitted to Ap. J.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tavani, M. (1991). Vaporizing Neutron Stars in Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries and the Statistics of Millisecond Pulsars. In: Ventura, J., Pines, D. (eds) Neutron Stars: Theory and Observation. NATO ASI Series, vol 344. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3536-8_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3536-8_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5565-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3536-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive