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NEWCOMB-BENFORD LAW IN ASTROPHYSICAL SOURCES

M. A. MORET

Programa de Modelagem Computacional, Fundação Visconde de Cairu 40226-900 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Departamento de Física, UEFS 44031-460 Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil

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V. de SENNA

Programa de Modelagem Computacional, Fundação Visconde de Cairu 40226-900 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

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M. G. PEREIRA

Departamento de Física, UEFS 44031-460 Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil

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, and

G. F. ZEBENDE

Programa de Modelagem Computacional, Fundação Visconde de Cairu 40226-900 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Departamento de Física, UEFS 44031-460 Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil

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https://doi.org/10.1142/S0129183106010054Cited by:15 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

We study the behavior of the numbers in 412 light curves of cataclysmic variables, x-ray binary systems, galaxies, pulsars, supernovae remnants and other x-ray sources present in the public data collected by the instrument All Sky Monitor on board of the satellite Rossi x-ray timing explorer. The temporal light curves were analyzed applying Newcomb-Benford Law. The first digit of the x-ray light curves coming from astrophysical systems obeys the Newcomb-Benford Law as an intrinsic behavior. The nonextensive statistical mechanics behavior of astrophysical sources seem to be the cause for these sources to obey the Newcomb-Benford law. Some x-ray binary systems, however, do not follow this behavior. These systems obey either a gaussian or a bimodal distribution.

Keywords:

PACS: 0.6.30.Ak, 05.40.Aa, 05.45.Tp, 89.75.Da, 96.60.Rd, 97.80.-d

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