1999/11/17 by Tod E. Strohmayer, Strohmayer, Tod E.
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #High-pressure geophysics and materials #Mechanics and Biomechanics Studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9911338
10 pages, 4 embedded figures, conference proceedings: X-ray Astronomy '99, Stellar Endpoints, AGN and the Diffuse X-ray Background. Bologna, Italy
openalex publication_date 1999/11/17 · arxiv created 1999/11/19 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Observations of thermonuclear (Type I) X-ray bursts from neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) have revealed large amplitude, high coherence X-ray brightness oscillations with frequencies in the 300 - 600 Hz range. Substantial spectral and timing evidence point to rotational modulation of the X-ray burst flux as the cause of these oscillations, and it is likely that they reveal the spin frequencies of neutron stars in LMXB from which they are detected. Here I review the status of our knowledge of these oscillations and describe how they can be used to constrain the masses and radii of neutron stars as well as the physics of thermonuclear burning on accreting neutron stars.