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Z Source ○꠹｜Definition｜1st｜20260911232503-00-⌔
Z source
In astrophysics, a Z source is a type of neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) distinguishable from the similar atoll source by the characteristic “Z” shape of its X-ray color-color diagram. Z-sources have high rates of accretion, typically more than 50% of the Eddington limit, and relatively strong magnetic fields, although they are not magnetars.1 Z-sources exhibit three main spectral states known as the horizontal branch, normal branch, and flaring branch.2
Printed 2026-09-11.
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Link to original Footnotes
Gierlinski, M.; Done, C. (2002). “The X-ray spectrum of the atoll source 4U 1608—52”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 337 (4): 1373–1380. arXiv:astro-ph/0208389. doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.06009.x. ↩
van der Klis, Michiel (1989). “The Z/Atoll Classification”. Proceedings of the 23rd. ESLAB Symposium on Two Topics in X-Ray Astronomy. 1. European Space Agency: 203. Bibcode:1989ESASP.296..203V. ↩
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