Luminosities of Disk--accreting Non--magnetic Neutron Stars

Abstract

Disk accretion onto a neutron star possessing a weak surface magnetic field ($B \le 10^8$ G) provides interesting X-ray emission scenarios, and is relevant for understanding X-ray bursters and low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). The standard (Newtonian) theory of disk-accretion predicts that the matter spiralling in from infinity loses one-half of its total gravitational energy in the extended disk, and the remainder in a narrow boundary layer girdling the neutron star. The ratio of the boundary layer luminosity to that from the disk ($E_{\rm BL}/E_{\rm D}$) is, therefore, unity. On incorporation of general relativity without rotation (Schwarzschild solution), $E_{\rm BL}/E_{\rm D}$ is seen to be as high as 6. We construct rotating sequences of neutron stars for three representative equations of state. We show here that for a neutron star rotating at a limit where centrifugal force balances the inward gravitational force, $E_{\rm BL}/E_{\rm D}\sim 0$.