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The thermal radiation spectra of supermassive stars and X-ray sources

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Abstract

In the external layers of supermassive stars and thermal sources of X-ray radiation electron scattering contributes more to the opacity than free-free process. Therefore, the thermal radiation spectrum of supermassive stars must greatly differ from Planckian. The approximate formulae obtained for the radiation spectra are applicable to any objects with a predominant role of electron scattering in the opacity and power dependence of plasma temperature and density on geometrical depth of the layers.

In thermal radiation sources with power dependence of plasma temperature on depth of the layer the formation of power radiation spectraF(v)∼v −α with α>0 with α>0 is possible. Such spectra can imitate the presence of non-thermal radiation mechanisms. This effect takes place also in the case of small optical depth on the Thomson scattering. Possibly, this effect is of interest for the theories of X-ray sources and X-ray solar flares.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Mathematics, U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, Moscow, USSR

    A. F. Illarionov & R. A. Sunyaev

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  1. A. F. Illarionov
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  2. R. A. Sunyaev
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Additional information

This case was considered also in the final version of the paper (Felten and Rees, 1972).

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Illarionov, A.F., Sunyaev, R.A. The thermal radiation spectra of supermassive stars and X-ray sources. Astrophys Space Sci 19, 61–74 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00643167

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00643167

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