Lorentz Workshop 'X-ray bursts and burst oscillations'

The workshop website may be found here.

Evidence of heavy-element ashes in thermonuclear X-ray bursts with photospheric superexpansion

by Jean in 't Zand & Nevin Weinberg.

The hunt for unambiguous narrow features in neutron spectra had made a step forward with the detection of absorption edges in the spectra of 3 thermonuclear flashes of a particularly super-Eddington luminous kind that may be found in ultracompact X-ray binaries. This shows that the potential for such measurements with high-resolution spectrometers is high. Furthermore, these flashes are shown to blow off shells, just like novae.

The paper is in print and available here.

Monitoring campaign of 1RXS J171824.2-402934, the low-mass X-ray binary with the lowest mass accretion rate

by Jean in 't Zand, Peter Jonker, Cees Bassa, Craig Markwardt and Al Levine.

This is a third paper in a series about a unique low-mass X-ray binary. After 10 years, we finally detect a second X-ray burst, with the RXTE-ASM. A complete report of all Chandra, Swift, RXTE and optical observations of the past few years.

The paper is available here.

Long tails on thermonuclear X-ray bursts from neutron stars: a signature of inward heating?

by Jean in 't Zand, Laurens Keek, Andrew Cumming, Alexander Heger, Jeroen Homan and Mariano Mendez.

There is much more to an X-ray burst than previously thought! Many few-minute bursts show hour-long tails. This is probably thermal radiation from deeper into the neutron star.

The paper is available here.

An X-ray and optical study of the ultracompact X-ray binary A 1246-58

by Jean in 't Zand, Cees Bassa, Peter Jonker et al.

The low-mass X-ray binary A 1246-56 has been known for a long time, but little studied. We repaired this by attacking it with the greatest X-ray and optical telescopes available. The source turns out to be an ultracompact X-ray binary - one of those peculiar places where hydrogen is in short supply.

The paper is available here.