The magnetohydrodynamics model of twin kilohertz QPOs in LMXBs

Abstract

We suggest an explanation for the twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) oscillation modes in neutron star magnetospheres. Including the effect of the neutron star spin, we derive several MHD wave modes by solving the dispersion equations, and propose that the coupling of the two resonant MHD modes may lead to the twin kHz QPOs. This model naturally relates the upper, lower kHz QPO frequencies with the spin frequencies of the neutron stars, and can well account for the measured data of six LMXBs.