Related papers: Multiwavelength Observations of Accretion in Low-M…
X-ray binaries are binary star systems in which a compact object (a neutron star or a black hole) and a relatively normal star orbit a common centre of mass. Since the discovery of X-ray binaries with the first X-ray telescopes in the…
The last two decades have seen a great improvement in our understand- ing of the complex phenomenology observed in transient black-hole binary systems, especially thanks to the activity of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer satellite, com-…
The radio/X-ray correlation is one of the most important pieces of observational evidence of the disk-jet connection in accreting compact objects. However, a growing number of X-ray binaries seem to present deviations from the universal…
Recent X-ray timing and spectral observations of black hole binaries in outburst have redefined methods for investigating the properties of Galactic black holes and the physics of accretion flows. High-frequency X-ray QPOs in 5 systems…
The study of massive X-ray binaries provides important observational diagnostics for a number of fundamental astrophysical issues, such as the evolution of massive stars, the stellar winds of massive stars, the formation of compact objects…
This paper discusses the broad science case for obtaining milliarcsecond to microarcsecond astronomical imaging resolution in the soft to medium-energy X-ray band (~0.5 to ~8 keV). Astronomy across much of the electromagnetic spectrum has…
In this review I first describe the nature of the three kinds of High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), accreting through: (i) Be circumstellar disc, (ii) supergiant stellar wind, and (iii) Roche lobe filling supergiants. I then report on the…
Flux variability is a remarkable property of black hole (BH) accreting systems, and a powerful tool to investigate the multi-scale structure of the accretion flow. The X-ray band is where some of the most rapid variations occur, pointing to…
Black hole binaries exhibit dramatic changes in their X-ray spectral and timing properties over time, providing important clues about the physical processes that occur in these systems. Black holes and black hole candidates are prime…
A significant number of X-ray binaries are now known to exhibit long-term ``superorbital'' periodicities on timescales of $\sim$ 10 - 100 days. Several physical mechanisms have been proposed that give rise to such periodicities, in…
Despite early theoretical expectations that large-scale, massive outflows would be triggered by accretion onto black holes and neutron stars, their presence was not firmly established until the 2000s. Since then, these accretion disc winds…
Our current understanding of the low surface brightness universe is quite incomplete, not only in the optical, but also in other wavelength regimes. As a demonstration of the type of science which is facilitated by a virtual observatory, we…
Polarimetry provides key physical information on the properties of interacting binary systems, sometimes difficult to obtain by any other type of observation. Indeed, radiation processes such as scattering by free electrons in the hot…
In this lecture the basic theory of accretion disks is introduced, with emphasis on aspects relevant for X-ray binaries and Cataclysmic Variables.
We study relations between the X-ray luminosity, orbital period and absolute near-infrared magnitude of persistent low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). We show that often optical and near-infrared spectral energy distribution of LMXBs can be…
Neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries accrete via Roche-lobe overflow from a stellar companion that is $\lesssim$ 1 M$_{\odot}$. The accretion disk in these systems can be externally illuminated by X-rays that are reprocessed by the…
We study the appearance of the neutron star - accretion disk system as seen by a distant observer in the UV/X-ray domain. The observed intensity spectra are computed assuming non-spherical geometry of the whole system, in which outgoing…
We review the main topics in the field of blazar multiwavelength variability as a tool to understand the physics and structure of extragalactic jets and their central engine. We address issues such as the cross-correlation between flux…
A linear relation between absolute rms variability and flux in X-ray observations of compact accreting sources has recently been identified. Such a relation suggests that X-ray lightcurves are non-linear and composed of a lognormal…
The advent of the new generation of X-ray telescopes yielded a significant step forward in our understanding of ionised absorption generated in the accretion discs of X-ray binaries. It has become evident that these relatively weak and…