X-ray spectroscopy of low-mass X-ray binaries

I present high-resolution X-ray grating spectroscopy of neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) using instruments onboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton). The first part of this thesis concentrates on results from the subset of LMXBs with orbital periods less than an hour, known as ultracompact binaries. Previous low-resolution X-ray spectra of four systems (4U 0614+091, 2S 0918-549, 4U 1543-624, and 4U 1850-087) all contain a broad residual near 0.7 keV which had been attributed to unresolved line emission. I show that this residual is due to an incorrect model of the intervening photoelectric absorption and can be accounted for by allowing a non-standard Ne/O abundance ratio in the intervening material. I propose that there is neon-rich material local to each binary and that the mass donor is a low-mass, neon-rich degenerate dwarf in an ultracompact binary. Follow-up spectroscopy of 2S 0918-549 and 4U 1543-624 with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) onboard Chandra and the Reflection Grating Spectrometer onboard XMM confirms the excess neutral neon absorption. Interestingly, the Ne/O ratio of 4U 1543-624 varies by a factor of three between the Chandra and XMMobservations, supporting the suggestion that some of the absorption originates local to the binaries. I also present X-ray spectroscopy of another ultracompact binary, the accretion-powered millisecond pulsar XTE J0929-314. No emission or absorption features are found in the high-resolution spectrum of this source, and the neutral absorption edge depths are consistent with the estimated interstellar absorption. The second part of this thesis uses LMXBs as probes of the interstellar medium (ISM).

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Juett, Adrienne Marie, 1976-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Deepto Chakrabarty.

• Physics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28371

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/28371