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The Gravimagnetic Parameter

By expecting the expression for the stopping radius  in the subcritical regime ( tex2html_wrap_inline9660 ), one can note that the magnetic dipole moment tex2html_wrap_inline9376 and the accretion rate tex2html_wrap_inline9294 always appear in the same combination,

equation1210

as was first noticed by Davis and Pringle (1981)[39]. The parameter y  characterizes the ratio between the gravitational and magnetic ``properties'' of a star and will, therefore, be called the gravimagnetic parameter. Two magnetic rotators having quite different magnetic fields, subjected to different external conditions but with identical gravimagnetic parameters, have similar magnetospheres, as long as the accretion rate is quite low ( tex2html_wrap_inline9555 ). Otherwise, the flux of matter near the stopping radius no longer depends on the accretion rate at a large distance.

In fact, the number of independent parameters can be further reduced (see Osminkin and Prokhorov, 1995[147]) by introducing the parameter

equation1219

Plotting the rotator's period p versus the Y-parameter  we can draw a somewhat less obvious but more general classification diagram  than the `` tex2html_wrap_inline9773 '' diagram discussed above. This permits us to show on a single plot the rotators with key parameters tex2html_wrap_inline9294 , tex2html_wrap_inline9270 and tex2html_wrap_inline9376 spanning a very wide range (Figure 9).

  figure1226


Figure: The observed magnetic rotators on the universal period - gravimagnetic parameter `` tex2html_wrap_inline8843 '' diagram: ``+'', isolated WD (Lipunov and Nazin, 1992 [117]); tex2html_wrap_inline8845 , intermediate polars;  tex2html_wrap_inline8847 , accreting NS; tex2html_wrap_inline8849 , radiopulsars. For isolated rotators, the accretion rate tex2html_wrap_inline9813  yr tex2html_wrap_inline8853 is assumed. The horizontal bar shows the orbital eccentricity-induced accretion rate change in binary pulsar PSR B1259-63. 

In the case of supercritical accretion,  another characteristic combination is found in all the expressions:

equation1235

Analoguous to the subcritical `` tex2html_wrap_inline8843 '' diagram, a supercritical `` tex2html_wrap_inline9819 '' diagram can be drawn.



Mike E. Prokhorov
Sat Feb 22 18:38:13 MSK 1997