论文标题
镜头耀斑：放大X射线二进制物作为SETI中的被动信标
Lens Flare: Magnified X-Ray Binaries as Passive Beacons in SETI
论文作者
论文摘要
含有中子星的低质量X射线二进制（LMXB）既极光性又紧凑，在一个公里尺度的边界层内排放到〜10^6 l_sun。这种组合允许轻松调制，激励X射线SETI。当带有半径100--1,000 km的X射线镜片放大LMXB边界层时，它的一秒钟亮度为几千倍。此外，应该有掩盖中子星的掩盖事件。被动X射线镜头可能几乎不需要内部功率，而LMXB光源本身就可以发光数百万年，并有可能有有效的信标进行星际通信。但是，需要大量的镜头来确保各个方向的频繁信号，并且收集材料来构造它们可能非常困难。避免镜头之间的碰撞，瞄准它们，并建立和维护其精确的形状带来其他挑战。明亮的LMXB的“镜头耀斑”在银河系中很容易检测到，尽管它们可能是罕见的事件，也许每十年发生一次。我们敏感的X射线仪器可以检测出银河LMXB和可能是伴形的耀斑的食物，但不可能在正确的时间观察LMXB。
Low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) containing neutron stars are both extremely luminous and compact, emitting up to ~10^6 L_sun within a kilometer-scale boundary layer. This combination allows for easy modulation, motivating X-ray SETI. When X-ray lenses with radii 100--1,000 km magnify the LMXB boundary layer, it brightens by a factor of several thousand for a fraction of a second. In addition, there should be occultation events where the neutron star is blocked out. Passive X-ray lenses could require little internal power and the LMXB light source itself shines for millions of years, with potential for an effective beacon for interstellar communication. A very large number of lenses would be needed to ensure frequent signals in all directions, however, and gathering material to construct them could be very difficult. Avoiding collisions between lenses, aiming them, and building and maintaining their precise shapes pose additional challenges. "Lens flares" of bright LMXBs are easily detectable in the Galaxy, although they would be rare events, occurring perhaps once per decade. Our sensitive X-ray instruments could detect the eclipses of Galactic LMXBs and possibly intergalactic flares, but it is unlikely they would be observing the LMXB at the right time.
