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D. M. Christodoulou

Publications and source records attributed to D. M. Christodoulou.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2024

Measuring the magnetic dipole moment and magnetospheric fluctuations of SXP 18.3 with a Kalman filter

The magnetic dipole moment $μ$ of an accretion-powered pulsar in magnetocentrifugal equilibrium cannot be inferred uniquely from time-averaged pulse period and aperiodic X-ray flux data, because the radiative efficiency $η_0$ of the accretion is unknown, as are the mass, radius, and distance of the star. The degeneracy associated with the radiative efficiency is circumvented, if fluctuations of the pulse period and aperiodic X-ray flux are tracked with a Kalman filter, whereupon $μ$ can be measured uniquely up to the uncertainties in the mass, radius, and distance. Here the Kalman filter analysis is demonstrated successfully in practice for the first time on Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the X-ray transient SXP 18.3 in the Small Magellanic Cloud, which is monitored regularly. The analysis yields $μ= 8.0^{+1.3}_{-1.2} \, \times \, 10^{30} \, {\rm G \, cm^3}$ and $η_0 = 0.04^{+0.02}_{-0.01}$, compared to $μ= 5.0^{+1.0}_{-1.0} \times 10^{30} \, {\rm G \, cm^3}$ as inferred traditionally from time-averaged data assuming $η_0=1$. The analysis also yields time-resolved estimates of two hidden state variables, the mass accretion rate and the Maxwell stress at the disk-magnetosphere boundary. The success of the demonstration confirms that the Kalman filter analysis can be applied in the future to study the magnetic moments and disk-magnetosphere physics of accretion-powered pulsar populations in the Small Magellanic Cloud and elsewhere.

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arXiv2019

Models of a protoplanetary disk forming in-situ the Galilean and smaller nearby satellites before Jupiter is formed

We fit an isothermal oscillatory density model of Jupiter's protoplanetary disk to the present-day Galilean and other nearby satellites and we determine the radial scale length of the disk, the equation of state and the central density of the primordial gas, and the rotational state of the Jovian nebula. Although the radial density profile of Jupiter's disk was similar to that of the solar nebula, its rotational support against self-gravity was very low, a property that also guaranteed its long-term stability against self-gravity induced instabilities for millions of years.

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arXiv2018

Not an Oxymoron: Some X-ray Binary Pulsars with Enormous Spinup Rates Reveal Weak Magnetic Fields

Three high-mass X-ray binaries have been discovered recently exhibiting enormous spinup rates. Conventional accretion theory predicts extremely high surface dipolar magnetic fields that we believe are unphysical. Instead, we propose quite the opposite scenario: some of these pulsars exhibit weak magnetic fields, so much so that their magnetospheres are crushed by the weight of inflowing matter. The enormous spinup rate is achieved before inflowing matter reaches the pulsar's surface as the penetrating inner disk transfers its excess angular momentum to the receding magnetosphere which, in turn, applies a powerful spinup torque to the pulsar. This mechanism also works in reverse: it spins a pulsar down when the magnetosphere expands beyond corotation and finds itself rotating faster than the accretion disk which then exerts a powerful retarding torque to the magnetic field and to the pulsar itself. The above scenaria cannot be accommodated within the context of neutron-star accretion processes occurring near spin equilibrium, thus they constitute a step toward a new theory of extreme (far from equilibrium) accretion phenomena.

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arXiv2018

A Striking Confluence Between Theory and Observations of High-Mass X-ray Binary Pulsars

We analyse the most powerful X-ray outbursts from neutron stars in ten Magellanic high-mass X-ray binaries and three pulsating ultraluminous X-ray sources. Most of the outbursts rise to $L_{max}$ which is about the level of the Eddington luminosity, while the rest and more powerful outbursts also appear to recognize that limit when their emissions are assumed to be anisotropic and beamed toward our direction. We use the measurements of pulsar spin periods $P_S$ and their derivatives $\dot{P_S}$ to calculate the X-ray luminosities $L_p$ in their faintest accreting ("propeller") states. In four cases with unknown $\dot{P_S}$, we use the lowest observed X-ray luminosities, which only adds to the heterogeneity of the sample. Then we calculate the ratios $L_p/L_{max}$ and we obtain an outstanding confluence of theory and observations from which we conclude that work done on both fronts is accurate and the results are trustworthy: sources known to reside on the lowest Magellanic propeller line are all located on/near that line, whereas other sources jump higher and reach higher-lying propeller lines. These jumps can be interpreted in only one way, higher-lying pulsars have stronger surface magnetic fields in agreement with empirical results in which $\dot{P_S}$ and $L_p$ values were not used.

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arXiv2017

Retrograde Accretion Disks in High-Mass Be/X-ray Binaries

We have compiled a comprehensive library of all X-ray observations of Magellanic pulsars carried out by {\it XMM-Newton}, {\it Chandra}, and {\it RXTE} in the period 1997-2014. In this work, we use the data from 53 high-mass Be/X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud to demonstrate that the distribution of spin-period derivatives vs. spin periods of spinning-down pulsars is not at all different than that of the accreting spinning-up pulsars. The inescapable conclusion is that the up and down samples were drawn from the same continuous parent population, therefore Be/X-ray pulsars that are spinning down over periods spanning 18 years are in fact accreting from retrograde disks. The presence of prograde and retrograde disks in roughly equal numbers supports a new evolutionary scenario for Be/X-ray pulsars in their spin period-period derivative diagram.

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arXiv2017

The Great Pretenders Among the ULX Class

The recent discoveries of pulsed X-ray emission from three ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) sources have finally enabled us to recognize a subclass within the ULX class: the great pretenders, neutron stars (NSs) that appear to emit X-ray radiation at isotropic luminosities $L_X = 7\times 10^{39}$~erg~s$^{-1}-1\times 10^{41}$~erg~s$^{-1}$ only because their emissions are strongly beamed toward our direction and our sight lines are offset by only a few degrees from their magnetic-dipole axes. The three known pretenders appear to be stronger emitters than the presumed black holes of the ULX class, such as Holmberg II \& IX X-1, IC10 X-1, and NGC300 X-1. For these three NSs, we have adopted a single reasonable assumption, that their brightest observed outbursts unfold at the Eddington rate, and we have calculated both their propeller states and their surface magnetic-field magnitudes. We find that the results are not at all different from those recently obtained for the Magellanic Be/X-ray pulsars: the three NSs reveal modest magnetic fields of about 0.3-0.4~TG and beamed propeller-line X-ray luminosities of $\sim 10^{36-37}$~erg~s$^{-1}$, substantially below the Eddington limit.

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arXiv2017

A Comprehensive Library of X-ray Pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: Time Evolution of their Luminosities and Spin Periods

We have collected and analyzed the complete archive of {\itshape XMM-Newton\} (116), {\itshape Chandra\} (151), and {\itshape RXTE\} (952) observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), spanning 1997-2014. The resulting observational library provides a comprehensive view of the physical, temporal and statistical properties of the SMC pulsar population across the luminosity range of $L_X= 10^{31.2}$--$10^{38}$~erg~s$^{-1}$. From a sample of 67 pulsars we report $\sim$1654 individual pulsar detections, yielding $\sim$1260 pulse period measurements. Our pipeline generates a suite of products for each pulsar detection: spin period, flux, event list, high time-resolution light-curve, pulse-profile, periodogram, and spectrum. Combining all three satellites, we generated complete histories of the spin periods, pulse amplitudes, pulsed fractions and X-ray luminosities. Some pulsars show variations in pulse period due to the combination of orbital motion and accretion torques. Long-term spin-up/down trends are seen in 12/11 pulsars respectively, pointing to sustained transfer of mass and angular momentum to the neutron star on decadal timescales. Of the sample 30 pulsars have relatively very small spin period derivative and may be close to equilibrium spin. The distributions of pulse-detection and flux as functions of spin-period provide interesting findings: mapping boundaries of accretion-driven X-ray luminosity, and showing that fast pulsars ($P<$10 s) are rarely detected, which yet are more prone to giant outbursts. Accompanying this paper is an initial public release of the library so that it can be used by other researchers. We intend the library to be useful in driving improved models of neutron star magnetospheres and accretion physics.

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arXiv2016

The X-ray Pulsar M82 X-2 on its Propeller Line

{\it NuSTAR} has detected pulsations from the ultraluminous X-ray source X-2 in M82 and archival {\it Chandra} observations have given us a good idea of its duty cycle. The newly discovered pulsar exhibited at least 4 super-Eddington outbursts in the past 15 years but, in its lowest-power state, it radiates just below the Eddington limit and its properties appear to be typical of high-mass X-ray binaries. M82 X-2 has been described as a common neutron star with a 1~TG magnetic field that occasionally accretes above the Eddington rate and as a magnetar-like pulsar with a 10-100~TG magnetic field that reaches above the quantum limit. We argue in favor of the former interpretation. Using standard accretion theory and the available observations, we calculate the stellar magnetic field of this pulsar in two independent ways and we show that it cannot exceed 3~TG in either case. We discuss the implications of our results for other ultraluminous X-ray sources that occasionally exhibit similar powerful outbursts.

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arXiv2016

On the Theoretical Framework of Magnetized Outflows from Stellar-Mass Black Holes and Related Observations

The spins of stellar-mass black holes (BHs) and the power outputs of their jets are measurable quantities. Unfortunately, the currently employed methods do not agree and the results are controversial. Two major issues concern the measurements of BH spin and beam (jet) power. The former issue can be resolved by future observations. But the latter issue can be resolved now, if we pay attention to what is expected from theoretical considerations. The question of whether a correlation has been found between the power outputs of few objects and the spins of their BHs is moot because BH beam power does not scale with the square of the spin of the BH. We show that the theoretical BH beam power is a strongly nonlinear function of spin that cannot be approximated by a quadratic relation, as is generally stated when the influence of the magnetic field is not accounted for in the \cite{bla77} model. The BH beam power of ballistic jets should scale a lot more steeply with BH spin irrespective of the magnetic field assumed to thread the horizon and the spin range considered. This behavior may already be visible in the analyses of radio observations by \cite{nar12} and \cite{rus13}. In agreement with previous studies, we also find that the power output that originates in the inner regions of the surrounding accretion disks is higher than that from the BHs and it cannot be ignored in investigations of continuous compact jets from these systems.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2011

Formation and destruction of jets in X-ray binaries

Neutron-star and black-hole X-ray binaries (XRBs) exhibit radio jets, whose properties depend on the X-ray spectral state and history of the source. In particular, black-hole XRBs emit compact, steady radio jets when they are in the so-called hard state, the jets become eruptive as the sources move toward the soft state, disappear in the soft state, and re-appear when the sources return to the hard state. On the other hand, jets from neutron-star X-ray binaries are typically weaker radio emitters than the black-hole ones at the same X-ray luminosity and in some cases radio emission is detected in the soft state. Significant phenomenology has been accumulated so far regarding the spectral states of neutron-star and black-hole XRBs, and there is general agreement about the type of the accretion disk around the compact object in the various spectral states. Our aim is to investigate whether the phenomenology regarding the X-ray emission on one hand and the jet appearance and disappearance on the other can be put together in a consistent physical picture. It has been shown that the so-called Poynting-Robertson Cosmic Battery (PRCB) explains in a natural way the formation of magnetic fields in the disks of AGN and the ejection of jets. We investigate whether the PRCB can also explain the formation, destruction, and variability of jets in XRBs. We find excellent agreement between the conditions under which the PRCB is efficient (i.e., the type of the accretion disk) and the emission or destruction of the radio jet. The disk-jet connection in XRBs is explained in a natural way using the PRCB.

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arXiv1997

Infrared Search for Young Stars in HI High-velocity Clouds

We have searched the IRAS Point Source Catalog and HIRES maps for young stellar objects (YSOs) in the direction of five \HI high-velocity clouds (HVCs). In agreement with optical searches in the halo, no evidence was found for extensive star-forming activity inside the high-latitude HVCs. Specifically, we have found no signs of star formation or YSOs in the direction of the A IV cloud or in the very-high-velocity clouds HVC~110-7-465 and HVC~114-10-440. We have identified only one young star in the direction of the M~I.1 cloud, which shows almost perfect alignment with a knot of \HI emission. Because of the small number of early-type stars observed in the halo, the probability for such a positional coincidence is low; thus, this young star appears to be physically associated with the M~I.1 cloud. We have also identified a good YSO candidate in the \HI shell-like structure observed in the core region of the low-latitude cloud complex H (HVC~131+1-200). This region could be a supernova remnant with several other YSO candidates formed along the shock front produced by the explosion. In agreement with recent theoretical estimates, these results point to a low but significant star-formation rate in intermediate and high Galactic latitude HVCs. For M~I.1 in particular, we estimate that the efficiency of the star-formation process is $M(YSO)/M(\HI)\ga 10^{-4}-10^{-3}$ by mass. Such efficiency is sufficient to account for (a) the existence of the few young blue stars whose ages imply that they were born in the Galactic halo, and (b) the nonprimordial metallicities inferred for some HVCs if their metal content proves to be low.

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arXiv1995

Phase-Transition theory of Instabilities. IV. Critical Points on the Maclaurin Sequence and Nonlinear Fission Processes

We use a free-energy minimization approach to describe the secular and dynamical instabilities as well as the bifurcations along equilibrium sequences of rotating, self-gravitating fluid systems. Our approach is fully nonlinear and stems from the Landau-Ginzburg theory of phase transitions. Here we examine higher than 2nd-harmonic disturbances applied to Maclaurin spheroids, the corresponding bifurcating sequences, and their relation to nonlinear fission processes. The triangle and ammonite sequences bifurcate from the two 3rd-harmonic neutral points on the Maclaurin sequence while the square and one-ring sequences bifurcate from two of the three known 4th harmonic neutral points. In the other three cases, secular instability does not set in at the corresponding bifurcation points because the sequences stand and terminate at higher energies relative to the Maclaurin sequence. There is no known bifurcating sequence at the point of 3rd-harmonic dynamical instability. Our nonlinear approach easily identifies resonances between the Maclaurin sequence and various multi-fluid-body sequences that cannot be detected by linear stability analyses. Resonances appear as first-order phase transitions at points where the energies of the two sequences are nearly equal but the lower energy state belongs to one of the multi-fluid-body sequences.

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arXiv1995

Phase-Transition Theory of Instabilities. III. The Third-Harmonic Bifurcation on the Jacobi Sequence and the Fission Problem

In Papers I and II, we have used a free-energy minimization approach that stems from the Landau-Ginzburg theory of phase transitions to describe in simple and clear physical terms the secular and dynamical instabilities as well as the bifurcations along equilibrium sequences of rotating, self-gravitating fluid systems. Here we investigate the secular and dynamical 3rd-harmonic instabilities that appear first on the Jacobi sequence of incompressible zero- vorticity ellipsoids. Poincare found a bifurcation point on the Jacobi sequence where a 3rd-harmonic mode becomes neutral. A sequence of pear-shaped equilibria branches off at this point but stands at higher energies. Therefore, the Jacobi ellipsoids remain secularly and dynamically stable. Cartan found that dynamical 3rd-harmonic instability also sets in at the Jacobi-pear bifurcation. We find that Cartan's instability leads to differentially rotating objects and not to uniformly rotating pear-shaped equilibria. We demonstrate that the pear-shaped sequence exists at higher energies and at higher rotation relative to the Jacobi sequence. The Jacobi ellipsoid undergoes fission on a secular time scale and a short-period binary is produced. The classical fission hypothesis of binary-star formation of Poincare and Darwin is thus feasible.

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arXiv1995

Phase-Transition Theory of Instabilities. II. Fourth-Harmonic Bifurcations and Lambda-Transitions

We use a free-energy minimization approach to describe the secular and dynamical instabilities as well as the bifurcations along equilibrium sequences of rotating, self-gravitating fluid systems. Our approach is fully nonlinear and stems from the Ginzburg-Landau theory of phase transitions. In this paper, we examine fourth-harmonic axisymmetric disturbances in Maclaurin spheroids and fourth-harmonic nonaxisymmetric disturbances in Jacobi ellipsoids. These two cases are very similar in the framework of phase transitions. Irrespective of whether a nonlinear first-order phase transition occurs between the critical point and the higher turning point or an apparent second-order phase transition occurs beyond the higher turning point, the result is fission (i.e. ``spontaneous breaking'' of the topology) of the original object on a secular time scale: the Maclaurin spheroid becomes a uniformly rotating axisymmetric torus and the Jacobi ellipsoid becomes a binary. The presence of viscosity is crucial since angular momentum needs to be redistributed for uniform rotation to be maintained. The phase transitions of the dynamical systems are briefly discussed in relation to previous numerical simulations of the formation and evolution of protostellar systems.

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arXiv1995

A new criterion for Bar-Forming Instability in Rapidly Rotating Gaseous and Stellar Systems. II. Nonaxisymmetric Form

We have previously introduced the parameter `alpha' as an indicator of stability to m=2 nonaxisymmetric modes in rotating, self-gravitating, axisymmetric, gaseous and stellar systems. This parameter can be written as a function of the total rotational kinetic energy, the total gravitational potential energy, and as a function of the topology/connectedness and the geometric shape of a system. Here we extend the stability criterion to nonaxisymmetric equilibrium systems, such as ellipsoids and elliptical disks and cylinders. We test the validity of this extension by considering predictions for previously published, gaseous and stellar, nonaxisymmetric models. The above formulation and critical values account accurately for the stability properties of m=2 modes in gaseous Riemann S-type ellipsoids (including the Jacobi and Dedekind ellipsoids) and elliptical Riemann disks as well as in stellar elliptical Freeman disks and cylinders: all these systems are dynamically stable except for the stellar elliptical Freeman disks that exhibit a relatively small region of m=2 dynamical instability.

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arXiv1994

A New Criterion for Bar-Forming Instability in Rapidly Rotating Gaseous and Stellar Systems. I. Axisymmetric Form

We analyze previous results on the stability of uniformly and differentially rotating, self-gravitating, gaseous and stellar, axisymmetric systems to derive a new stability criterion for the appearance of toroidal, m=2 Intermediate (I) and bar modes. In the process, we demonstrate that the bar modes in stellar systems and the m=2 I-modes in gaseous systems have many common physical characteristics and only one substantial difference: because of the anisotropy of the stress tensor, dynamical instability sets in at lower rotation in stellar systems. This difference is reflected also in the new stability criterion. The new stability parameter "alpha" is formulated first for uniformly rotating systems and is based on the angular momentum content rather than on the energy content of a system. For stability of stellar systems "alpha" = 0.254-0.258, while it is in the range of 0.341-0.354 for gaseous systems. For uniform rotation, one can write "alpha" as a function of the total (rotational) kinetic and gravitational energies, and of a parameter which is characteristic of the topology/connectedness and the geometric shape of a system. "Alpha" can be extended to and calculated for a variety of differentially rotating, gaseous and stellar, axisymmetric disk and spheroidal models whose equilibrium structures and stability characteristics are known. We also estimate "alpha" for gaseous toroidal models and for stellar disk systems embedded in an inert or responsive "halo". We find that the new stability criterion holds equally well for all these previously published axisymmetric models.

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arXiv1994

Phase-Transition Theory of Instabilities.I.Second-Harmonic Instability and Bifurcation Points

A free-energy minimization approach is used to address the secular & dynamical instabilities & the bifurcations along sequences of rotating, self-gravitating fluid and stellar systems. Our approach stems from the Landau-Ginzburg theory of phase transitions. We focus on the Maclaurin sequence of oblate spheroids & on the effects of second-harmonic disturbances. Second-order phase transitions appear on the Maclaurin sequence also at the points of dynamical instability & of bifurcation of the Dedekind sequence. Distinguishing characteristic of each second-order phase transition is the (non)conservation of an integral of motion (e.g. circulation) which determines the appearance of the transition. Circulation is not conserved in stellar systems because the stress-tensor gradient terms that appear in the Jeans equations of motion include viscosity-like off-diagonal terms of the same order of magnitude as the conventional pressure gradient terms. This explains why the Jacobi bifurcation is a point of dynamical instability in stellar systems but only a point of secular instability in viscous fluids. The second-order phase transitions are discussed in relation to the dynamical instability of stellar systems, the lambda-transition of liquid He-4, the second-order phase transition in superconductivity & the mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking.

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