Related papers: Observational evidence for matter propagation in a…
4U 1822-371 is one of the proto-type accretion disk coronal sources with an orbital period of about 5.6 hours. The binary is viewed almost edge-on at a high inclination angle of 83 degrees, which makes it a unique candidate to study binary…
We study an accretion flow during the gravitational-wave driven evolution of binary massive black holes. After the binary orbit decays due to an interaction with a massive circumbinary disk, the binary is decoupled from the circumbinary…
We examine in detail several aspects of the physics of accretion disks of possible relevance to the outburst mechanism of the black hole X-ray transients. We adopt the one dimensional, time dependent model described in detail by Cannizzo,…
We present new XSHOOTER spectra of NLTT5306, a 0.44 $\pm$ 0.04\msun white dwarf in a short period (101\,min) binary system with a brown dwarf companion that is likely to have previously undergone common envelope evolution. We have confirmed…
We report results of Swift observations for the high mass Be/X-ray binary system 1A 1118-615, during an outburst stage in January, 2009 and at a flaring stage in March, 2009. Using the epoch-folding method, we successfully detected a pulsed…
Early-time X-ray observations of GRBs with the Swift satellite have revealed a more complicated phenomenology than was known before. In particular, the presence of flaring activity on a wide range of time scales probably requires late-time…
We report the identification of the ROSAT all-sky survey source 1RXS J154814.5-452845as new intermediate polar and present the results from follow-up optical and X-ray observations. The source shows pulsations with a period of 693 s both in…
The properties of the orbit and the donor star in the high mass X-ray binary microquasar LS 5039 indicate that accretion processes should mainly occur via a radiatively driven wind. In such a scenario, significant X-ray variability would be…
In magnetically accreting white dwarfs, the height above the white dwarf surface where the standing shock is formed is intimately related with the accretion rate and the white dwarf mass. However, it is difficult to measure. We obtained new…
(Abridged) Recent XMM-Newton studies of X-ray variability in the hard states of black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs) imply that the variability is generated in the 'standard' optically-thick accretion disc. The variability originates in the…
We present results of a 3 year monitoring campaign of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 509, using X-ray data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and optical data taken by the SMARTS consortium. Both light curves show significant…
A brief overview is given of the observations of accretion disks in X-ray binaries, discussing their geometry, their effect on the rotation period of the accreting object, their optical and X-ray spectra, time variability, and radio…
In X-ray binaries, several percent of the compact object luminosity is intercepted by the surface of the normal companion and re-radiated through Compton reflection and the K-fluorescence. This reflected emission follows the variability of…
We use the XMM-Newton EPIC-pn instrument in timing mode to extend spectral time-lag studies of hard state black hole X-ray binaries into the soft X-ray band. We show that variations of the disc blackbody emission substantially lead…
The UV emission from X-ray binaries, is more likely to be produced by reprocessing of X-rays by the outer regions of an accretion disk. The structure of the outer disk may be altered due to the presence of X-ray irradiation and we discuss…
We report on optical imaging of the X-ray binary SAX J1808.4-3658 with the 8-m Gemini South Telescope. The binary, containing an accretion-powered millisecond pulsar, appears to have a large periodic modulation in its quiescent optical…
The models that seek to explain the reflection spectrum in black hole binaries usually invoke a point-like primary source of hard X-rays. This source illuminates the accretion disk and gives rise to the discrete (lines) and…
We present simultaneous X-ray and optical B and V band light curves of the Seyfert Galaxy NGC3783 spanning 2 years. The flux in all bands is highly variable and the fluctuations are significantly correlated. As shown before by Stirpe et al.…
We present our second paper describing multi-wave-band, time-resolved spectroscopy of WZ Sge. We analyze the evolution of both optical and IR emission lines throughout the orbital period and find evidence, in the Balmer lines, for an…
Sgr A* exhibits flaring in the infrared several times each day, occasionally accompanied by flaring in X-rays. The infrared flares are believed to arise through synchrotron emission from a transient population of accelerated electrons. The…