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Tolga Guver
University of Arizona
 

"Measuring the Distances, Masses and Radii of Neutron Stars in X-Ray Binaries"
 

Low mass  X-ray binaries  that have independent  distance measurements and show thermonuclear X-ray bursts are ideal sources for constraining the equation  of state  of neutron star  matter. I will  introduce our program  to systematically  measure  the distances, masses, and radii  of  neutron stars in such binaries.  We utilize high energy resolution X-ray spectra to measure the  ISM column  densities to these sources to measure the distances as well as time resolved, high count rate X-ray spectra to study their bursts. I will discuss in detail how the combination of these observations have led to the measurement of the masses and radii of the neutron stars  in the low mass X-ray binaries EXO 1745-248, 4U 1608-52, and 4U 1820-30.