Points: 30 Time: 5.

0 Hours

Black Widow Pulsar

A signi cant number of the observed stars are binaries. One or both of the stars may be neutron stars
rotating with a high angular velocity and emitting electromagnetic waves; such stars are called pulsars.
Sometimes a companion star is an expansive mass of gas that gradually falls down onto the neutron star
and causes its mass to increase (Figure 1-a). In this way, a neutron star gradually swallows up a portion
of the mass of its companion star. For this reason, the neutron star has been compared to a black widow
(or redback spider), a female spider which eats its mate after mating. The heating of the gas falling down
onto the black widow generates radiation which can be observed. The heaviest neutron stars often are
black widows and they serve as natural laboratories for testing fundamental physics. Figure 1-b shows
the picture of the companion of the neutron star PSR J2215+5135, taken by the 3.4-meter optical
telescope of the Iranian National Observatory. No neutron star can be seen in this image and the
observed light is due to its companion.

Figure 1 - (a) The falling gases of the companion star onto the neutron star - (b) The companion of the neutron star PSR J2215+5135

A. A Binary System
Consider a simple model in which the black widow and its companion star, are represented by two
M M
point masses 1 and 2 moving on a circular orbit around their center of mass. To investigate the
dynamics of this system, consider a rotating coordinate system in which the two bodies are
stationary. Take the center of mass to be the origin of the coordinate system. Assume that the two
x
point masses lie on the -axis on both sides of the origin at a distance from each other, and that a
M x xy
1 lies on the negative -axis. At an arbitrary point ( , ) in the plane of motion, the e ective
φxy
potential ( , ) for a unit test mass is the sum of the gravitational potentials of the two point
masses plus the centrifugal potential.

A-1 Write φ(x, y) in terms of M , M , G, and a.

1 2 1.0 pt

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A-2 AssumingM > M , plot the function φ(x, 0) qualitatively.

1 2 0.7 pt

Suppose (just for task A-3) M = M /3 and assume that M is surrounded by a rare ed gas of
2 1 2
very low density. The mass of this gas is insigni cant and we ignore its gravitational e ects. If the
size of this gas envelope becomes greater than a speci c limit, the gas will over ow onto M .
Suppose the over ow occurs through x = x on the x-axis.
1
0

x
Find the numerical value of a0 , up to two signi cant gures. You may use
A-3 0.5 pt
the calculator.

P
Take the rotational period of the stars around their center of mass to be . Assume that mass ows
M M
from 2 to 1 at a very small rate of dM dt β
1/ = . This rate is so small that in each period of
rotation, the distance between the two stars can be assumed to be constant. However, after a long
period of time, the distance between the two stars changes, while the motion remains circular.

A-4
a
Calculate the rate of change of and P in terms of β, M , M , G, and a.
1 2
0.6 pt

M M
The gas separated from 2 forms a disk rotating around 1 and heats up due to friction (Figure
M
1-a). As the gas loses energy, it spirals inward toward 1 and nally falls onto it. In the steady
β M
state, the mass ows at the constant rate of , from 2 to the disc and from the disc onto 1. At M
the same time, the heated disk emits thermal radiation as a blackbody. This disk forms very close
M
to the neutron star so the gravitational pull of the 2 star can be ignored for the analysis of the
disk’s motion. Also, ignore the heat capacity of the gas.

r
Determine the temperature of the disc at distance from the center of the
A-5
M βM G
star 1 in terms of , 1, , and σ (Stefan-Boltzmann constant).
1.0 pt

M
In the binary system PSR J2215+5135, the mass of the neutron star is NS = 2. 27 ⊙ and the M
M M M
mass of its companion star is S = 0. 33 ⊙, where ⊙ = 1. 98 × 1030 kg is the mass of the
Sun. The rotational period is P
= 4. 14 hr, and the Stefan-Boltzmann constant is
σ −8 2 4
= 5. 67 × 10 W/m K , and the gravitational constant is G 2
= 6. 67 × 10−11 m3/ kgs .
.
β M
Assume that the mass ow rate to the neutron star is = NS = 9 × 10−10 ⊙ yr−1. M
A-6 Calculate the temperature of the disc at the radius r = a
10 in kelvins.
0.5 pt

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M
Assume that after a sudden explosion, the 1 star ejects a part of its mass out of the binary system at a very
M
high speed, and its mass becomes 1′. Take the magnitude of the velocity of 1′ relative to 2 to be ′ M M v
after the explosion.

v
Determine the maximum value of ′, in terms of 1′, 2, , and , that allows M M G a
A-7 the new binary system to stay bounded. Assuming that the explosion is isotropic, 0.7 pt
M
what is the minimum value of 1′ for the binary system to remain bounded?

B. Analysis of the Stability of a Star

In this part we study the stability of a single star. Consider a star containing a speci c kind of
matter with the equation of state = γ where p Kρ K
and are constants. Let ( ) and ( ) be theγ pr ρr
rp ρ
pressure and density at a distance from the center of the star, respectively. The pressure and
density at the center of the star are c and c, respectively. In all tasks of the part B, take all
outward vectors to be positive.

Determine the gravitational acceleration g(r) near the center of the star in
B-1
r
terms of and the constants and c. G ρ 0.2 pt

Derive a (di erential) equation for determining ( ) at equilibrium, and ρr

B-2 d
write it in the following form: dr
dρ
h ρr
[ 1( , ) dr ] + 2( ) = 0. Find the h rρ 0.6 pt
functions h
1 and h. 2

B-3
Construct a quantity r 0 of the form r = Gp ρ
0
l
c
m n
c with the dimension of
0.4 pt
length.

Rewrite the (di erential) equation of task B-2 in the following form:
B-4 d
dx [ A (u, x)
1
du
dx A (x)u(x) = 0,
] + 2
0.3 pt

where x= r
r0 and u= ρ
ρc . Find the functions A (u, x) and A (x).
1 2

B-5 For γ = 2 one nds u(x) = f (x)

x . Determine f (x). 0.6 pt

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Assume that for a particular star du

dx x
, as a function of , is given by the curve given in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - The plot of du

dx

Use the behavior of the curve in Figure 2, in the vicinity of the point x = 0,
B-6
γ
to nd up to 3 signi cant gures. Use the given ruler if necessary.
0.8 pt

To analyze the stability of the system, we assume that the star deviates slightly from its equilibrium
r
state: we assume that the spherical shell, which was in equilibrium at radius , now has a radius , r̃
gp ρ g̃ p̃ ρ̃
similarly the parameters , , and have changed to , , and respectively. For convenience, we
r
shall only consider small ’s near the center of the star, for which we can assume that
r̃ r εt εt
= (1 + ( )), where ( ) ≪ 1.

B-7 Find ρ̃ and g̃ in terms of ρ and g to the rst order in ε. 0.9 pt

Using Newton's equation of motion for the spherical layer with the
B-8 r d2r̃
g̃ ρ̃ K γ
∂ ρ̃
equilibrium radius of nd dt2 in terms of , , , , and ∂r̃ (By ∂r̃
∂ ρ̃
0.6 pt
ρ̃ r̃
we mean derivative of with respect to at constant .) t
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2
ε
Obtain ddtε2 in terms of and the constants given in the problem. Find the
B-9 γ
minimum value of for a stable equilibrium, and nd the oscillation's 0.6 pt
angular frequency of the star.

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