On the Origin of Neutron Stars in Globular Clusters

Abstract

The formation of neutron stars in globular clusters is discussed in light of a number of recent results and, in particular, studies of the origin and evolution of the high luminosity x-ray binaries found in globular clusters. We argue that the neutron stars most probably arise from the accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs in compact binary systems, themselves detectable as low luminosity cluster x-ray sources. The white dwarfs which can collapse are probably the remnants of relatively more massive stars than those presently found in globulars. This can account for the predominant occurrence of the high luminosity cluster sources in clusters of relatively high metallicity, since those clusters have recently been found to probably have flatter mass functions of their component stars.