Kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations and strong field gravity in X-ray binaries

Abstract

In the past five years observations with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have revealed fast quasi-periodic oscillations in the X-ray flux of about 20 X-ray binaries. Thought to originate close to the surface of a neutron star, these oscillations provide unique information about the strong gravitational field in which they are produced.

2 pages, no figures; to appear in the Proceedings of the 9th Marcel Grossman Meeting, eds., Vahe Gurzadyan, Robert Jantzen and Remo Ruffini, World Scientific