Thermonuclear X-ray bursts

Abstract

Type-I X-ray bursts arise from unstable thermonuclear burning of accreted fuel on the surface of neutron stars. In this chapter we review the fundamental physics of the burning processes, and summarise the observational, numerical, and nuclear experimental progress over the preceding decade. We describe the current understanding of the conditions that lead to burst ignition, and the influence of the burst fuel on the observational characteristics. We provide an overview of the processes which shape the burst X-ray spectrum, including the observationally elusive discrete spectral features. We report on the studies of timing behaviour related to nuclear burning, including burst oscillations and mHz quasi-periodic oscillations. We describe the increasing role of nuclear experimental physics in the interpretation of astrophysical data and models. We survey the simulation projects that have taken place to date, and chart the increasing dialogue between modellers, observers, and nuclear experimentalists. Finally, we identify some open problems with prospects of a resolution within the timescale of the next such review.

57 pages, 14 figures; review to appear in "Timing Neutron Stars: Pulsations, Oscillations and Explosions", Editors: Tomaso Belloni and Mariano Mendez (ASSL, Springer)

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• New Insights into Classical Novae
• Horizons: Nuclear Astrophysics in the 2020s and Beyond
• GRMHD Simulations of Accreting Neutron Stars with Non-Dipole Fields
• An Observationally-Derived Kick Distribution for Neutron Stars in Binary Systems
• A NICER look at thermonuclear X-ray bursts from Aql X-1
• Dense Matter in Neutron Stars with eXTP
• A catalogue of unusually long thermonuclear bursts on neutron stars
• Einstein Probe discovery of EP240408a: a peculiar X-ray transient with an intermediate timescale
• NICER observations of the evidence of Poynting-Robertson drag and disk reflection during type I X-ray bursts from 4U 1636$-$536
• NICER views moderate, strong, and extreme photospheric expansion bursts from the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 1820$-$30
• Thermonuclear explosions on neutron stars reveal the speed of their jets
• Thermonuclear X-ray bursts from LMXB 4U 1636$-$536 observed with AstroSat
• Type I X-ray bursts' spectra and fuel composition from the atoll and transient source 4U 1730$-$22
• Expanded atmospheres and winds in Type I X-ray bursts from accreting neutron stars
• Evolution of accretion disc reflection spectra due to a Type I X-ray burst
• Minute-Cadence Observations of the LAMOST Fields with the TMTS: II. Catalogues of Short-Period Variable Stars from the First Two-Year Surveys
• Pulse Profile Modeling of Thermonuclear Burst Oscillations I: The Effect of Neglecting Variability
• Modelling spin-up episodes in accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars
• Detection of millihertz quasi-periodic oscillations in the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1730--22 with NICER
• Accreting neutron stars: composition of the upper layers of the inner crust
• Broad-band X-ray spectra and timing of the accretion-powered millisecond pulsar Swift J1756.9$-$2508 during its 2018 and 2019 outbursts
• Fundamental physics with neutron stars
• Representation Learning for Time-Domain High-Energy Astrophysics: Discovery of Extragalactic Fast X-ray Transient XRT 200515
• Investigating the nature and properties of MAXI J1810-222 with radio and X-ray observations
• First direct measurement constraining the ${}^{34}$Ar($\alpha$,p)${}^{37}$K reaction cross section for mixed hydrogen and helium burning in accreting neutron stars
• The radiative efficiency of neutron stars at low-level accretion
• The imprint of convection on Type I X-ray bursts: Pauses in photospheric radius expansion lightcurves
• A comprehensive study of type I (thermonuclear) bursts in the new transient SRGA J144459.2$-$604207
• Quenching and recovery of persistent X-ray emission during a superburst in 4U 1820$-$30
• Improved Nuclear Physics Near $A=61$ Refines Urca Neutrino Luminosities in Accreted Neutron Star Crusts
• Insight-HXMT observations on thermonuclear X-ray bursts from 4U~1608--52 in 2022: the accretion rate dependent anisotropy of burst emission
• Simultaneous Optical and X-ray Detection of a Thermonuclear Burst in the 2024 Outburst of EXO 0748-676
• Selfsimilarity relations for torsional oscillations of neutron stars
• Timing and spectral studies of SRGA J144459.2$-$604207 with NICER, Einstein Probe, IXPE, NuSTAR, Insight-HXMT and INTEGRAL during its 2024 outburst
• Radiation Driven Warping of Accretion Discs Due to X-ray Bursts
• Constraining Accreted Neutron Star Crust Shallow Heating with the Inferred Depth of Carbon Ignition in X-ray Superbursts
• Emission and Absorption Lines in Photospheric Radius Expansion Bursts of 4U 1820$-$30
• Parameter constraints for accreting millisecond pulsars with synthetic NICER data
• A solution to the tension of burning on neutron stars and nuclear physics
• NICER observations of type-I X-ray bursts from the ultra-compact X-ray binary M15 X-2
• Capture Rates of Highly Degenerate Neutrons
• Thermonuclear Type-I X-ray Bursts and Burst Oscillations from the Eclipsing AMXP Swift J1749.4-2807
• Nuclear astrophysics
• A transition from mixed-fuel to pure-helium thermonuclear bursts in Terzan 5 X-3/Swift J174805.3-244637
• Return of the Clocked Burster: Exceptionally Short Recurrence Time in GS 1826-238
• Long thermonuclear burst driven thermal-viscous instability of accretion disk: triggering an outburst-like X-ray flare
• A candidate to the long sought optical counterpart to the Rapid Burster in the bulge fossil fragment Liller 1
• An ultraviolet burst oscillation candidate from the low-mass X-ray binary EXO 0748-676
• Photospheric Radius Expansion and a double-peaked type-I X-ray burst from GRS 1741.9-2853
• QPO signatures of disk restoration after type-I X-ray bursts from 4U~1636$-$536