Related papers: Optical precursors to X-ray binary outbursts

Black hole and neutron star X-ray binary systems routinely show quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in their X-ray flux. Despite being strong, easily measurable signals, their physical origin has long remained elusive. However, recent…

X-ray binaries provide exceptional laboratories for understanding the physics of matter under the most extreme conditions. Until recently, there were few, if any, observational constraints on the circumbinary environments of 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.…

The mid-infrared (MIR; $\lambda\simeq3 - 10\mu$m) bands offer a unique window into understanding accretion and its interplay with jet formation in Galactic black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs). Although extremely difficult to observe from the…

We summarize the quiescent X-ray observations of transient low-mass X-ray binaries. These observations show that, in quiescence, binaries containing black holes are fainter than those containing neutron stars. This has triggered a number of…

In X-ray binary star systems consisting of a compact object that accretes material from an orbiting secondary star, there is no straightforward means to decide if the compact object is a black hole or a neutron star. To assist this…

Long-term ("superorbital") periods or modulations have been detected in a wide variety of both low and high-mass X-ray binaries at X-ray and optical wavelengths. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to account for the variability…

With the advent of more sensitive all-sky instruments, the transient Universe is being probed in greater depth than ever before. Taking advantage of available resources, we have established a comprehensive database of black hole (and black…

Be X-ray binaries are among the best known transient high-energy sources. Their outbursts are commonly classified into a simple scheme of 'normal' and 'giant' outbursts, but a closer look shows that actual outbursts do not always follow…

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…

In this paper we report on the optical and X-ray behaviour of the Be X-ray binary, SXP 91.1, during a recent type I outburst. We monitored the outburst using the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. These data were supported by optical data from…

We have analyzed {\it Rossi} X-ray timing explorer (RXTE) pointed observations of the outbursts of black hole and neutron star soft X-ray transients in which an initial low/hard state or `island' state, followed by a transition to a softer…

In this paper, we employ Machine Learning algorithms on multi-mission observations for the classification of accretion states of outbursting Black hole X-ray binaries for the first time. Archival data from RXTE, Swift, MAXI and AstroSat…

The black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820$+$070 began its first recorded outburst in March 2018, and remained an active radio, X-ray, and optical source for over four years. Due to the low distance to the source and its intrinsically high…

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with 10^39 < L_x < 10^41 erg/s have been discovered in great numbers in external galaxies with ROSAT, Chandra, and XMM-Newton. The central question regarding this important class of sources is whether they…

We present a new scenario for the behaviour of Be/X-ray binaries based on long-term multiwavelength monitoring and the decretion disc model. The circumstellar discs of the primaries are truncated because of the tidal and resonant effect of…

Black hole X-ray binaries (BH XRBs) are ideal targets to study the connection between accretion inflow and jet outflow. Here we present quasi-simultaneous, multi-wavelength observations of the Galactic black hole system MAXI J1820+070,…

For a long time XMMU J010331.7-730144 was proposed as a high-mass X-ray binary candidate based on its X-ray properties, however, its optical behaviour was unclear - in particular previous observations did not reveal key Balmer emission…

This work is intended to provide an introduction to multiwavelength observations of low-mass X-ray binaries and the techniques used to analyze and interpret their data. The focus will primarily be on ultraviolet, optical, and infrared…

MAXI J1820+070 (optical counterpart ASASSN-18ey) is a black hole candidate discovered through its recent very bright outburst. The low extinction column and long duration at high flux allow detailed measurements of the accretion process to…