On pulsar-driven mass ejection in low-mass X-ray binaries

Abstract

There is accumulating evidence for mass ejection in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) driven by radio pulsar activity during X-ray quiescence. We consider the condition for mass ejection by comparing the radiation pressure from a millisecond pulsar, and the gas pressure at the inner Lagrange point or at the surrounding accretion disk. We calculate the critical spin period of the pulsar below which mass ejection is allowed. Combining with the evolution of the mass transfer rate, we present constraints on the orbital periods of the systems. We show that mass ejection could happen in both wide and compact LMXBs. It may be caused by transient accretion due to thermal instability in the accretion disks in the former, and irradiation-driven mass-transfer cycles in the latter. © 2011 National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences and IOP Publishing Ltd.