Related papers: Spectral states in Be/X-ray pulsars
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).…
The spectral properties of X--ray radiation produced in a static atmosphere around a neutron star accreting at very low rates are investigated. Previous results by Alme \& Wilson (1973) are extended to the range $10^{-7}\leq L/L_{Edd}\leq…
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer is an X-ray observatory measuring the X-ray polarization in the 2-8 keV energy range. Highly sensitive to the system's geometry, X-ray polarization is a unique method to probe the structure of X-ray…
The complex spectral and timing properties of the high-energy emission from the accretion flow in black-hole binaries, together with their strong connection to the ejection of powerful relativistic jets from the system, can be simplified…
Observations of the black hole and neutron star X-ray binaries show that the luminosity of the hard-to-soft state transition is usually higher than that of the soft-to-hard state transition, indicating additional parameters other than the…
This paper reviews some of the recent observational results on stellar mass black hole candidates. Over the last decade, much of the progress in this field has been achieved through the study of transient X--ray binary sources which shine…
We present a new scenario of the emissive origin in the Steep Power Law (SPL) state of X-ray Binaries. The power-law component of X-ray emission is the synchrotron radiation of relativistic electrons in highly magnetized compact spots…
A growing number of early Be stars discovered in X-ray surveys exhibit X-ray luminosities intermediate between those of normal stars and those of most Be/X-ray binaries in quiescence. Their X-ray spectra are also much harder than those of…
Narrow spectral features in the 5--6 keV range were recently discovered in the X-ray spectra of a few active galactic nuclei. We discuss the possibility that these features are due to localized spots which occur on the surface of an…
Be/X-ray binaries are the most populous class of High Mass X-ray Binaries. Their X-ray duty cycle is tightly related to the optical companion wind activity, which in turn can be studied through optical spectroscopical dedicated…
We present the results of the observations of the giant bursts from the X-ray pu lsar A0535+26 made by HEXE onboard Mir-Kvant in April 1989, November 1993 and February 1994. The pulse periods were measured, pulse profiles in different…
The mechanism that can be responsible for the bimodal luminosity distribution of super-Eddington X-ray pulsars in binary systems is pointed out. The transition from the high to low state of these objects is explained by accretion flow…
The luminosity of X-ray pulsars is their key parameter determining the geometry and physical conditions of the accretion flow both on the spatial scales of a binary system and on much smaller scales of emitting regions located close to the…
Transient radio emission from X-ray binaries is associated with synchrotron emission from collimated jets that escape the system, and accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs) are no exception. Although jets from black hole X-ray binaries…
This chapter discusses the implications of X-ray binaries on our knowledge of Type Ibc and Type II supernovae. X-ray binaries contain accreting neutron stars and stellar--mass black holes which are the end points of massive star evolution.…
Black hole X-ray binaries show signs of non-thermal emission in the optical/near-infrared range. We analyze the optical/near-infrared SMARTS data on GX339$-$4 over the 2002--2011 period. Using the soft state data, we estimate the…
Hard X-ray emission is ubiquitous in accreting black holes, both in Galactic binary systems and in Active Galactic Nuclei. I review the different spectra which can be seen from these systems, and possible ways of producing this emission.…
We examine the possibility that Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) represent the extreme end of the black hole X-ray binary (XRB) population. Based on their X-ray properties, we suggest that ULXs are persistently in a high/hard spectral…
Strongly magnetized, accreting neutron stars show periodic and aperiodic variability over a wide range of time scales. By obtaining spectral and timing information on these different time scales, we can have a closer look into the physics…
Compact binary millisecond pulsars with main-sequence donors, often referred to as "redbacks", constitute the long-sought link between low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond radio pulsars, and offer a unique probe of the interaction…