2002/08/09 by Lev Titarchuk, Kent Wood
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/344147
published as Astrophys.J. 577 (2002) L23-L26 · 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in the ApJ. Letters 2002 August 8
arxiv created 2002/08/09 · openalex publication_date 2002/09/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
We interpret the correlation over 5 orders of magnitude between high frequency ν high and low frequency ν low in quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) found by Psaltis, Belloni, & van der Klis for black hole (BH) and neutron star (NS) systems and then extended by Mauche to white dwarf (WD) binaries. The observed correlation strongly constrains theoretical models and provides clues to understanding the nature of the QPO phenomena at large. We argue that the observed correlation is a natural consequence of the Keplerian disk flow adjustment to the innermost sub-Keplerian boundary conditions near the central object that ultimately leads to the formation of the sub-Keplerian transition layer (TL) between the adjustment radius and the innermost boundary (the star surface for the NS and WD and the horizon for the BH). In the frameworks of the TL model, ν high is related to the Keplerian frequency at the outer (adjustment) radius ν K , and ν low is related to the magnetoacoustic oscillation frequency ν MA . Using a relation between ν MA , the magnetic and gas pressure, and the density and the hydrostatic equilibrium condition in the disk, we infer a linear correlation between ν K and ν MA . Identification of ν high , ν low with ν K , ν MA , respectively, leads us to the determination of H / r out = 1.5 × 10 -2 and β = 0.1 (where H is the half-width of the disk and β is a ratio of magnetic pressure to gas pressure). We estimate the magnetic field strength near the TL outer radius for BHs, NSs, and WDs. The fact that the observed high-low frequency correlation over 5 orders of magnitude is valid for BHs, NSs, and down to WDs strongly rules out relativistic models for QPO phenomena. We come to the conclusion that the QPO observations indicate the adjustment of the geometrically thin disk to sub-Keplerian motion near the central object. This effect is a common feature for a wide class of systems, starting from WD binaries up to BH binaries.