Super-soft x-ray source

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A super soft X-ray source is an astronomical source of very low energy x-rays. Soft x-rays have energies in the 0.09 to 2.5 keV range, whereas hard x-rays are in the 1-20 keV range[1]. Super soft x-rays are believed to be produced by steady nuclear fusion on a white dwarf's surface of material pulled from a binary companion[2]. This requires a flow of material sufficiently high to sustain the fusion. Contrast this with the nova, where less flow causes the material to only fuse sporadically. Super soft x-ray sources can evolve into type Ia supernova, where a sudden fusion of material destroys the white dwarf, and neutron stars, through collapse[3].

[edit] History

Super soft x-ray sources were first discovered by the Einstein Observatory. Further discoveries were made by ROSAT[4].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Supersoft X-Ray Sources
  2. ^ Super Soft X-ray Sources - Discovered with ROSAT (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)
  3. ^ Proceedings of the Workshop on Supersoft X-ray Sources held at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
  4. ^ Catalog of Supersoft X-ray Sources
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