  We perform a set of numerical experiments studying the interaction of Type I
X-ray bursts with thin, Shakura-Sunyaev type accretion discs. Careful
observations of X-ray spectra during such bursts have hinted at changes
occurring in the inner regions of the disc. We now clearly demonstrate a number
of key effects that take place simultaneously, including: evidence for weak,
radiation-driven outflows along the surface of the disc; significant levels of
Poynting-Robertson (PR) drag, leading to enhanced accretion; and prominent
heating in the disc, which increases the height, while lowering the density and
optical depth. The PR drag causes the inner edge of the disc to retreat from
the neutron star surface toward larger radii and then recover on the timescale
of the burst. We conclude that the rich interaction of an X-ray burst with the
surrounding disc provides a novel way to study the physics of accretion onto
compact objects.
