论文标题
来自热核突发观测的中子星参数的强大推断
Robust inference of neutron-star parameters from thermonuclear burst observations
论文作者
论文摘要
热核（I型）爆发是由低质量X射线二进制中的中子恒星表面上的蓄积燃料的不稳定点火引起的。原则上的爆发特性的测量使观察者能够推断出宿主中子星和质量供体的特性，但是许多混杂的天体物理效应有助于系统的不确定性。在这里，我们描述了一些用于确定系统参数的常用方法，包括爆发燃料的组成，并引入了一套新的软件工具，Concord，旨在充分说明天体物理不确定性。比较观察到的爆发特性与数值模型的预测是约束宿主特性的补充方法，此处介绍的工具旨在使全面的模型观察性比较直接进行。当结合X射线观测值累积的大量突发观测样本时，这些软件工具将提供有关典型爆发源的信息的逐步变化。
Thermonuclear (type-I) bursts arise from unstable ignition of accumulated fuel on the surface of neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries. Measurements of burst properties in principle enable observers to infer the properties of the host neutron star and mass donors, but a number of confounding astrophysical effects contribute to systematic uncertainties. Here we describe some commonly-used approaches for determining system parameters, including composition of the burst fuel, and introduce a new suite of software tools, concord, intended to fully account for astrophysical uncertainties. Comparison of observed burst properties with the predictions of numerical models is a complementary method of constraining host properties, and the tools presented here are intended to make comprehensive model-observation comparisons straightforward. When combined with the extensive samples of burst observations accumulated by X-ray observatories, these software tools will provide a step-change in the amount of information that can be inferred about typical burst sources.
