On the verge of magnetospheric instability: X-ray flares during the outburts of AO535+26

by Konstantin Postnov (IAAT, Tübingen / Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow)

Tuesday 11 Dec 2007, 14:00 → 15:30 Europe/Berlin

Lecture Hall (MPA)

Strong X-ray flares observed at the onset of outbursts of X-ray transient pulsar A0535+26 (RXTE, Swift/BAT) are explained in terms of magnetospheric instability. During the instability, plasma piled up in the transition layer between the disk and NS magnetosphere spasmodically falls onto the NS surface but not exactly along the magnetic field lines the quasi-stationary accretion is guided by. This model suggests explanation to the different pulse profiles and the higher value of the cyclotron line energy during the flares as derived from the RXTE observations.