Related papers: Gamma-ray emission from binaries in context
Gamma-ray binaries are X-ray binaries with gamma-ray emissions. Their multi-wavelength emissions range from radio, optical, X-ray and to very high energy (TeV). X-ray emissions are crucial to understand the nature of gamma-ray binaries.…
Classical novae are the most common astrophysical thermonuclear explosions, occurring on the surfaces of white dwarf stars accreting gas from companions in binary star systems. Novae typically expel ~10^(-4) solar masses of material at…
The microquasar phenomenon is associated with the production of jets by X-ray binaries and, as such, may be associated with the majority of such systems. In this chapter we briefly outline the associations, definite, probable, possible, and…
The discovery of non-thermal X-ray emission from the jets of some X-ray binaries, and especially the discovery of GeV-TeV gamma-rays in some of them, provide a clear evidence of very efficient acceleration of particles to multi-TeV energies…
Classical novae produce radioactive nuclei which are emitters of gamma-rays in the MeV range. Some examples are the lines at 478 and 1275 keV (from 7Be and 22Na) and the positron-electron annihilation emission, with the 511 keV line and a…
The most massive binary system Eta Carinae has been recently established as a gamma-ray source by the AGILE and Fermi-LAT detectors. The high energy spectrum of this gamma-ray source is very intriguing. It shows two clear components and a…
During last years a few massive binary systems have been detected in the TeV gamma-rays. This gamma-ray emission is clearly modulated with the orbital periods of these binaries suggesting its origin inside the binary system. In this paper…
Microquasars, X-ray binary systems that generate relativistic jets, were discovered in our Galaxy in the last decade of the XXth century. Their name indicates that they are manifestations of the same physics as quasars but on a completely…
Microquasars are binary star systems with relativistic radio-emitting jets. They are potential sources of cosmic rays and laboratories for elucidating the physics of relativistic jets. Here we report the detection of variable gamma-ray…
Gamma-ray binaries are orbital modulated gamma-ray sources in the Galaxy detected both at GeV and TeV energies. The high-energy radiation may come from the interaction of energetic electrons injected by a young pulsar and photons from the…
The exclusive Galactic gamma-ray club has opened up to new members. Supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae, and massive binary systems hosting a compact object have recently joined the young pulsars as firmly established sources of gamma…
Gamma-ray bursts are characterized by a duration of milliseconds to several minutes in which an enormous amount of radiation is emitted. The origin of these phenomena is still unknown because proposed models fail to explain all the observed…
Colliding winds of massive binaries have long been considered as potential sites of non-thermal high-energy photon production. This is motivated by the detection of non-thermal spectra in the radio band, as well as by correlation studies of…
In this chapter we review some aspects of X-ray binaries, particularly those presenting steady jets, i.e. microquasars. Because of their proximity and similarities with active galactic nuclei (AGN), galactic jet sources are unique…
Radio and X-ray observations of the relativistic jets of microquasars show evidence for the acceleration of particles to very high energies. Signatures of non-thermal processes occurring closer in to the compact object can also be found. In…
Supernova remnants have long been suggested as a class of potential counterparts to unidentified gamma-ray sources. The mechanisms by which such gamma-rays can arise may include emission from a pulsar associated with a remnant, or a variety…
Gamma-ray loud X-ray binaries are binary systems that show non-thermal broadband emission from radio to gamma rays. If the system comprises a massive star and a young non-accreting pulsar, their winds will collide producing broadband…
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…
Be/X-ray binaries are systems formed by a massive Be star and a magnetized neutron star, usually in an eccentric orbit. The Be star has strong equatorial winds occasionally forming a circumstellar disk. When the neutron star intersects the…
Several binary systems consisting of a massive star and a compact object have been detected above 100 GeV in the Galaxy. In most of these sources, gamma-rays show a modulation associated to the orbital motion, which means that the emitter…