Related papers: High Energy Phenomena in Supergiant X-ray Binaries
This review summarizes the observational constraints on the mass spectrum of compact objects in X-ray binaries. We currently have 20 X-ray binaries with confirmed black holes, based on dynamical information (i.e. mass in excess of 3 Msun).…
After the first nine years of INTEGRAL operational life, the discovery of new sources and source types, a large fraction of which are highly transient or highly absorbed, is certainly one of the most compelling results and legacies of…
LSI +61 303 is one of the few X-ray binaries with Be star companion from which both radio and high-energy gamma-ray emission have been observed. We present XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL observations which reveal variability of the X-ray spectral…
The observable characteristics and subsequent evolution of young stellar populations is dominated by their massive stars. As our understanding of those massive stars and the factors affecting their evolution improves, so our interpretation…
The observed luminosity distributions of X-ray sources indicate the presence of several populations of X-ray binaries in the nearby galaxies. Each population has its formation and evolutionary history, depending on the host environment. The…
The high luminosity of massive, early-type stars drives strong stellar winds through line scattering of the stars continuum radiation. Their momenta contribute substantially to the dynamics and energetics of the ambient interstellar medium…
A population of Galactic gamma-ray binaries is currently emerging due to ever increasing sensitivity of gamma-ray observatories. The detection of very high energy (VHE) photons with energies well above 10 TeV from a dozen of sources and the…
Chandra is revolutionising our understanding of the X-ray emission from spiral galaxies. Before Chandra, detailed extragalactic studies were limited to Local Group galaxies. We are now able to obtain detailed inventories of sources in…
It has been suggested that most Be/X-ray binaries are low X-ray luminosity nearby objects, containing white dwarfs (Chevalier & Ilovaisky 1998). We show that existing evidence indicates that all known Be/X-ray binaries are relatively bright…
It has been known for over 30 years that Galactic globular clusters (GCs) are overabundant by orders of magnitude in bright X-ray sources per unit mass relative to the disk population. Recently a quantitative understanding of this…
The X-ray and $\gamma$-ray emission of globular clusters (GCs) is attributed to their large fraction of compact binary systems, especially those with millisecond pulsars (MSPs). We analyze a population of 124 Galactic GCs to investigate how…
The evolution of massive stars in general, massive close binaries in particular depend on processes where, despite many efforts, the physics are still uncertain. Here we discuss the effects of stellar wind as function of metallicity during…
Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) have been studied in the Galaxy since the beginning of X-ray astronomy. A lot has been learned about these bright X-ray sources, but significant questions are still open. These questions are related to the…
Simultaneous multiwavelength studies of X-ray binaries have been remarkably successful and resulted in improved physical constraints, a new understanding of the dependence of mass accretion rate on X-ray state, as well as insights on the…
We present a suite of binary evolution models with massive primaries (10 $\leq$ M$_1$ $\leq$ 40 M$_\odot$) and periods and mass ratios chosen such that the systems undergo non-conservative mass transfer while the primaries have helium…
Observational programmes currently underway with both Chandra and XMM-Newton are set to revolutionize our view of our own Galaxy. This is fortunate since the X-ray band can provide crucial diagnostics in the quest to understand the…
The wide fields of view, high sensitivity, and broad energy coverage of current X-ray and gamma-ray satellites, coupled with the high cadence observational strategy of some of them (recently Swift and Fermi) have been ideal for carrying out…
A mysterious X-ray-emitting object has been detected moving away from the high-mass gamma-ray binary PSR B1259-63, which contains a non-accreting pulsar and a Be star whose winds collide forming a complex interaction structure. Given the…
Current X-ray observatories make it possible to follow the evolution of transient and variable X-ray binaries across a broad range in luminosity and source behavior. In such studies, it can be unclear whether evolution in the low energy…
The most powerful cosmic engines in our universe are fueled by compact objects. These objects accrete large amounts of material and eject matter in the form of jets. Recent groundbreaking discoveries of gravitational waves from merging…