We present results of spectral investigations of the Sco X-1 like Z-track sources Sco X-1, GX 349+2, and GX 17+2 based on Rossi-XTE (RXTE) observations determining spectral evolution along the Z-track. Results are obtained for a spectral model describing an extended accretion disk corona. The results are compared with previous results for the Cyg X-2 like group: Cyg X-2, GX 340+0, and GX 5-1 and a general model for the Z-track sources proposed. On the normal branch, the Sco-like and Cyg-like sources are similar, the results indicating an increase of mass accretion rateṀ between soft and hard apex, not as in the standard view that this increases monotonically around the Z. In the Cyg-like sources, increasingṀ causes the neutron star temperature kT to increase from ∼1 to ∼2 keV. At the lower temperature, the radiation pressure is small, but at the higher kT , the emitted flux of the neutron star is several times super-Eddington and the high radiation pressure disrupts the inner disk and launches the relativistic jets observed on the upper normal and horizontal branches. In the Sco-like sources, the main physical difference is the high kT of more than 2 keV on all parts of the Z-track suggesting jets are always possible, even on the flaring branch. The flaring branch in the Cyg-like sources is associated with a release of energy on the neutron star consistent with unstable nuclear burning. The Sco-like sources are very different as flaring appears to be a combination of unstable burning and an increase ofṀ which makes flaring much stronger. Analysis of 15 years of RXTE ASM data on all 6 classic Z-track sources shows the high rate and strength of flaring in the Sco-like sources suggesting that the continual release of energy heats the neutron star causing the high kT . Analysis of a Sco X-1 observation with unusually little flaring supports this. GX 17+2 appears to be transitional between the Cyg and Sco-like types. Our results do not support the suggestion that Cyg or Sco-like nature is determined by the luminosity.

Based on the results of applying the extended ADC emission model for low mass X-ray binaries to three Z-track sources: GX 340+0, GX 5-1 and Cyg X-2, we propose an explanation of the Cygnus X-2 like Z-track sources. The Normal Branch is dominated by the increasing radiation pressure of the neutron star caused by a mass accretion rate that increases between the soft apex and the hard apex. The radiation pressure continues to increase on the Horizontal Branch becoming several times super-Eddington. We suggest that this disrupts the inner accretion disk and that part of the accretion flow is diverted vertically forming jets which are detected by their radio emission on this part of the Z-track. We thus propose that high radiation pressure is the necessary condition for the launching of jets. On the Flaring Branch there is a large increase in the neutron star blackbody luminosity at constant mass accretion rate indicating an additional energy source on the neutron star. We find that there is good agreement between the mass accretion rate per unit emitting area of the neutron starṁ at the onset of flaring and the theoretical critical value at which burning becomes unstable. We thus propose that flaring in the Cygnus X-2 like sources consists of unstable nuclear burning. Correlation of measurements of kilohertz QPO frequencies in all three sources with spectral fitting results leads to the proposal that the upper kHz QPO is an oscillation always taking place at the inner accretion disk edge, the radius of which increases due to disruption of the disk by the high radiation pressure of the neutron star.

We present the results of a combined investigation of the spectral and kHz QPO evolution around the Z-track in GX 5-1 based on high-quality Rossi-XTE data. In spectral analysis, we find that the Extended ADC emission model provides very good fits to all of the spectra, and the results point clearly to a model for the nature of the Z-track in this source, in agreement with previous results for the similar source GX 340+0. In this model, at the soft apex of the Z-track, the mass accretion rateṀ is at its minimum and the neutron star has its lowest temperature; but as the source moves along the normal branch, the luminosity of the Comptonized emission increases, indicating thatṀ increases and the neutron star gets hotter. The measured flux f of the neutron star emission increases by a factor of ten becoming super-Eddington, and we propose that this causes disruption of the inner disk and the formation of jets. In flaring, the luminosity of the dominant Comptonized emission from the accretion disk corona is constant, while the neutron star emission increases, and we propose for the first time that flaring consists of unstable nuclear burning on the neutron star, supported by the agreement between the measured mass accretion rate per unit areaṁ at the onset of flaring and the theoretical critical value at which burning becomes unstable. There is a striking correlation between the frequencies of the kHz QPO and the ratio of the flux to the Eddington value: f / f Edd , suggesting an explanation of the higher frequency QPO and of its variation along the Z-track. It is well known that a Keplerian orbit in the disk at this frequency corresponds to a position some distance from the neutron star; we propose that the oscillation always occurs at the inner disk edge, which moves radially outwards on the upper normal and horizontal branches as the measured increasing radiation pressure increasingly disrupts the inner disk.

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