Nuclear Physics Seminar

Neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries can accrete hydrogen and helium from a companion star. This matter undergoes thermonuclear burning in the neutron star envelope. In the case of unstable burning a flash is observed: a type I X-ray burst. I will present our analyses of rare bursts: those with short recurrence times and long duration bursts which last a day (superbursts). Recently we created a multi-zone numerical model of the neutron star envelope, where we include mixing due to rotation and a rotationally induced magnetic field. I will discuss how mixing may explain the observed transition from stable to unstable burning as a function of the mass accretion rate.