Spin equilibrium with or without gravitational wave emission: the case of XTE J1814-338 and SAX J1808.4-3658

Authors
Publication date 2011
Journal Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume | Issue number 738
Number of pages 5
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy (API)
Abstract In this Letter we present a new analysis of the torques acting on the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars SAX J1808.4-3658 and XTE J1814-338, and show how our results can be used to constrain theoretical models of the spin evolution. In particular, we find upper limits on any spin-up/down phase of XTE J1814-338 of at 95% confidence level. We examine the possibility that a gravitational wave torque may be acting in these systems and suggest that a more likely scenario is that both systems are close to spin equilibrium, as set by the disk/magnetosphere interaction.


Document type Article
Language English
Published at https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/738/1/L14
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