Fourier power spectra at high frequencies: a way to distinguish a neutron star from a black hole

TL;DR

This study compares the high-frequency power spectra of neutron stars and black holes, proposing a method to distinguish them based on the presence of high-frequency noise in X-ray transients.

Contribution

It introduces an empirical method to differentiate neutron stars from black holes using high-frequency power spectral analysis in X-ray transients.

Findings

Neutron stars show significant power near 1 kHz in their spectra.

Black holes exhibit a decline in power above 10-50 Hz.

X-ray transients with noise above 500 Hz are likely neutron stars.

Abstract

We analyzed the power density spectra of a sample of 9 neutron star and 9 black hole binaries in the low/hard spectral state. In the power density spectra of accreting neutron stars with a weak magnetic field a significant power is contained at frequencies close to one kHz. At the same time, most Galactic accreting black holes demonstrate a strong decline in the power spectra at the frequencies higher than 10--50 Hz. We propose to use this empirical fact as a method to distinguish the accreting neutron stars from black holes in X-ray transients. The X-ray transients that demonstrate significant noise in their X-ray flux at frequencies above ~500 Hz should be considered neutron stars. We propose to explain the observed difference as a result of the existence of a radiation dominated spreading layer on the neutron star surface (Inogamov & Sunyaev 1999). The possible very high frequency variabilities of this layer are discussed.