Radiation Hydrodynamic Models of Eclipsing Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries
McKee, Christopher F.; Murray, Stephen D.; Woods, D. Tod; Castor, John I.; Klein, Richard I.
United States
Abstract
We present the results of self-consistent two-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic models of winds and coronae above accretion disks in low-mass X-ray binaries. The numerical method combines adaptive mesh refinement for the hydrodynamics with combined ray tracking/flux-limited diffusion for the radiation. The results of the models are compared with EXOSAT observations of X1822-371 and 2S 0921-630, two eclipsing systems that are ideal for direct tests of coronal structure. Excellent fits to the eclipses by the companion star are found for models with intrinsic system luminosities ~0.1LEdd. Estimates are made of the equivalent width of the Fe K alpha emission, and values in the range 50--200 eV are found, comparable to estimates from recent observations.