Transient outburst mechanisms in Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients
Abstract
The recent discovery of a new class of recurrent and fast X-ray transient sources, the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients, poses interesting questions on the possible mechanisms responsible for their transient X-ray emission. The association with blue supergiants, the spectral properties similar to those of accreting pulsars and the detection, in a few cases, of X-ray pulsations, confirm that these transients are High Mass X-ray Binaries. I review the different mechanisms proposed to explain their transient outbursts and the link to persistent wind accretors. I discuss the different models in light of the new observational results coming from an on-going monitoring campaign of four Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients with Swift.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0809.3157,
title = {Transient outburst mechanisms in Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients},
author = {L. Sidoli},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0809.3157},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Invited talk at the 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, held on 13-20 July 2008, in Montreal, Canada. Symposium E, session 11. Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research. The text and the title have been modified according to the referee's suggestions