Lecture #2 — X-Ray Bursts (Of Type 1)

Abstract

As mentioned in Lecture #1, X-ray bursts are a distinct type of X-ray intensity variations, which have, so far, been observed only in low-mass X-ray binaries. In this second lecture a brief description is given of the basic properties of type 1 bursts. This is followed by a discussion of recent results based, in particular, on observations with the European X-ray observatory EXOSAT. These observations allowed for the first time a detailed comparison of burst recurrence behaviour, as a function of the persistent X-ray luminosity, with expectations based on the thermonuclear flash model. For a comprehensive review of X-ray bursts, covering the entire field up to 1983, the reader is referred to Lewin & Joss (1981, 1983).