Talk:X-ray burster
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[edit] Large overhaul
I did a large overhaul of this page. Below I have pasted the article before my editing, in case anyone wishes to compare or change back my work. DAID 12:11, 19 July 2007 (UTC)
X-ray bursters are a class of binary stars which have periodic outbursts luminous in X-rays. They contain a neutron star and an accreting companion.
When a star in a binary fills its Roche lobe (either due to being very large or very close to its companion), it begins to lose matter, which streams into an accretion disk surrounding the other star. In an X-ray burster, this hydrogen-rich material accretes onto the surface of the neutron star as a layer of degenerate gas. After enough of this material accumulates, fusion ignites in the degenerate gas. Since fusion is a runaway process in a degenerate medium, the result is explosive. The resulting spike in X-ray luminosity is called an X-ray burst. Most X-ray bursters have irregular periods on the order of a few hours. Theory suggests that in at least some cases the hydrogen in the accreting material burns continuously, and that it is the accumulation of helium that causes the bursts.
Luminous X-ray bursts can be considered standard candles, since the mass of neutron star determines the luminosity of the burst. Therefore, comparing the observed X-ray flux to the predicted value yields relatively accurate distances. Observations of X-ray bursts allow also the determination of the radius of the neutron star.
[edit] X-ray bursts vs. rp-process
I wonder how we can best integrate the pages concerning the rp-process and X-ray bursts, as the two subjects are inherently intertwined. DAID 10:50, 19 July 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Citations needed
This article needs some citations. As I made many of the recent additions, I will attempt to my part in citing my sources when I am back at home with access to all my books. DAID 10:50, 19 July 2007 (UTC)
