Objectives
- compute accretion luminosity for a white dwarf, neutron star, and black hole at a common mass-transfer rate
- Separate event counts or catalog values from calibrated and inferred quantities.
- Quantify one uncertainty, sensitivity, or selection effect.
- Produce a reproducible figure/table with a scientific caption.
Materials and setup
Use Python 3, the supplied binary_accretion.csv, and the source documentation named below. The supplied record is clearly labeled in data/README.md. Record file hash, row count, columns, units, processing state, and provenance level.
Computed check: R = 5.1136 pc Constant velocity is a deliberately limited first model; Sedov evolution decelerates the shock.
Procedure
- Inspect the file and make a schema table before filtering or fitting.
- Reproduce the baseline calculation with units and an independent hand-derived formula.
- Apply the activity-specific task: compute accretion luminosity for a white dwarf, neutron star, and black hole at a common mass-transfer rate.
- Perform one perturbation or alternative-model test and report the direction of change.
- Write a caption that identifies data, transformation, inference, uncertainty, and limitation.
Measurement and analysis record
| Record | Required entry |
|---|---|
| Input | File, source, release or access date, columns, units, and provenance level. |
| Model | Equation, parameter values, boundary conditions, and approximation. |
| Uncertainty | Statistical term plus calibration, distance, response, or model sensitivity. |
| Validation | Independent recomputation, limiting-case check, and comparison direction. |
Deliverables and assessment
Submit code or notebook, provenance manifest, one labeled figure or table, a 700-word methods memo, and a revision note. Full credit requires traceable input, correct units, explicit assumptions, uncertainty treatment, and a specific limitation. Resubmission with a change log is encouraged.
Sources and provenance
Use the shared mdot and masses/radii, propagate a 5% mdot uncertainty, and compare efficiencies. Reference anchor: OpenStax 24.6 and HEASARC X-ray-binary resources.. Level-1 mission facts are listed separately from level-2 literature/object parameters and level-3 teaching records.