Beaming Due to Comptonisation in X-ray Pulsars

X-Ray Beaming due to Resonance Scattering in the Accretion Column of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables

Extremely strong ionized Fe emission lines, with the equivalent width reaching about 4000 eV, were discovered with ASCA from a few Galactic compact objects, including AX J2315−0592, RX J1802.1+1804 and AX J1842.8−0423. These objects are thought to be binary systems containing magnetized white dwarfs (WDs). A possible interpretation of the strong Fe-K line is the line-photon collimation in the W...

(Anomalous) X-ray Pulsars

Prior to the commissioning of BeppoSAX and the Rossi X-ray Timing Observatory in 1996, the so-called “Anomalous” X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) were considered very mysterious sources, because the energy source for their bright X-ray emission was unknown. At the time, there were only 3 known members of this class. They were distinguished by having periods in the narrow range 6–9 s, showing approximately ...

The Anomalous X-ray Pulsars

X-ray pulsars: a review

Accreting X-ray pulsars are among the most luminous objects in the X-ray sky. In highly magnetized neutron stars (B ∼ 1012 G), the flow of matter is dominated by the strong magnetic field. The general properties of accreting X-ray binaries are presented, focusing on the spectral characteristics of the systems. The use of cyclotron lines as a tool to directly measure a neutron star’s magnetic fi...

X-ray lines, progenitor and beaming of Gamma-Ray Bursts

X-ray emission features have been detected in at least five GRB afterglows. Their detection and properties are of great importance in our understanding of the nature of the GRB progenitor. Moreover, they provide us with an uncollimated source of photons, allowing us to put firm constraints on the total energy produced in GRBs, and therefore on their degree of collimation. I will review the radi...