arXiv subjects

S. L. W. McMillan

Publications and source records attributed to S. L. W. McMillan.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2013

The Astrophysical Multipurpose Software Environment

We present the open source Astrophysical Multi-purpose Software Environment (AMUSE, www.amusecode.org), a component library for performing astrophysical simulations involving different physical domains and scales. It couples existing codes within a Python framework based on a communication layer using MPI. The interfaces are standardized for each domain and their implementation based on MPI guarantees that the whole framework is well-suited for distributed computation. It includes facilities for unit handling and data storage. Currently it includes codes for gravitational dynamics, stellar evolution, hydrodynamics and radiative transfer. Within each domain the interfaces to the codes are as similar as possible. We describe the design and implementation of AMUSE, as well as the main components and community codes currently supported and we discuss the code interactions facilitated by the framework. Additionally, we demonstrate how AMUSE can be used to resolve complex astrophysical problems by presenting example applications.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2006

A Neutron Star with a Massive Progenitor in Westerlund 1

We report the discovery of an X-ray pulsar in the young, massive Galactic star cluster Westerlund 1. We detected a coherent signal from the brightest X-ray source in the cluster, CXO J164710.2-455216, during two Chandra observations on 2005 May 22 and June 18. The period of the pulsar is 10.6107(1) s. We place an upper limit to the period derivative of Pdot<2e-10 s/s, which implies that the spin-down luminosity is Edot<3e33 erg/s. The X-ray luminosity of the pulsar is L_X = 3(+10,-2)e33 (D/5 kpc)^2 erg/s, and the spectrum can be described by a kT = 0.61+/-0.02 keV blackbody with a radius of R_bb = 0.27+/-0.03 (D/5 kpc}) km. Deep infrared observations reveal no counterpart with K<18.5, which rules out binary companions with M>1 Msun. Taken together, the properties of the pulsar indicate that it is a magnetar. The rarity of slow X-ray pulsars and the position of CXO J164710.2-455216 only 1.6' from the core of Westerlund 1 indicates that it is a member of the cluster with >99.97% confidence. Westerlund 1 contains 07V stars with initial masses M_i=35 Msun and >50 post-main-sequence stars that indicate the cluster is 4+/-1 Myr old. Therefore, the progenitor to this pulsar had an initial mass M_i>40 Msun. This is the most secure result among a handful of observational limits to the masses of the progenitors to neutron stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Binaries in Globular Clusters

Binary stars play a critical role in determining both the dynamical evolution and the observational appearance of globular star clusters. We present a summary of three talks presented at IAU JD15, reviewing the current observational and theoretical status of binaries and related ``exotic'' stars in the Galactic globular cluster system.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

Binary--single-star scattering VII. Hard Binary Exchange Cross Sections for Arbitrary Mass Ratios: Numerical Results and Semi-Analytic Fits

We present the first comprehensive fitting formula for exchange reactions of arbitrary mass ratios. In a comparison with numerical results, this expression is shown to be accurate in the hard binary limit to within 25\% for most mass ratios. The result will be useful in forming quantitative estimates for the branching ratios of various exchange reactions in astrophysical applications. For example, it can be used to construct quantitative formation scenarios for unusual objects in globular clusters, such as binaries containing a pulsar.

astro-ph↗