12.13: Neutron Star and Companion Star Scenario
Artist’s concept of an X-ray binary—the donor star (right) and the star being cannibalized (shown in blue on the left); the X-ray star the Accretor star.
Close binary systems of neutron stars and companion stars are much like a White Dwarf and Companion Binary star scenario. An accretion disk can form from material taken from the companion star by the neutron star. Neutron Stars are much hotter and more luminous than the White Dwarf scenario; they become a powerful X-ray source, called an X-ray Binary . These type of objects emit bursts of energy and are called X-ray Bursters .