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arxiv: 1704.05060 · v2 · pith:QIGA5BIRnew · submitted 2017-04-17 · 🌌 astro-ph.HE · astro-ph.SR

Is there a propeller neutron star in γ Cas?

classification 🌌 astro-ph.HE astro-ph.SR
keywords gammapropellerstarscompaniondiskmechanismneutronobserved
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$\gamma$ Cas is the prototype of a small population of B0-B1.5 III-V classical Be (cBe) stars that emit anomalous and hard X-rays with a unique array of properties. $\gamma$ Cas is known to host, like other cBe stars, a decretion disk and also a low mass companion. Recently Postnov et al. have posited that this companion is a magnetized rapidly spinning neutron star that deflects direct gravitational accretion from a stellar/disk wind via the "propeller mechanism." These authors state that the key X-ray observations are "remarkably well produced" in this scenario. We reexamine this mechanism in detail and conclude that there are a number of fatal objections in its application to the $\gamma$ Cas case. Among other considerations these issues include the prediction under the propeller scenario of a much smaller population of $\gamma$ Cas stars than is observed and the lack of allowance for observed correlations of X-ray and UV and/or optical properties over a variety of timescales.

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