Related papers: Measuring interacting binary mass functions with X…
Simultaneous multiwavelength studies of X-ray binaries have been remarkably successful and resulted in improved physical constraints, a new understanding of the dependence of mass accretion rate on X-ray state, as well as insights on the…
The optical light curves of quiescent black hole low-mass X-ray binaries often exhibit significant non-ellipsoidal variabilities, showing the photospheric radiation of the companion star is veiled by other source of optical emission.…
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…
Mass and radius measurements of stars are important inputs for models of stellar structure. Binary stars are of particular interest in this regard, because astrometry and spectroscopy of a binary together provide the masses of both stars as…
We propose a possibility to improve the current precision measurements on compact binaries. When the orbital axis is almost perpendicular to our line of sight, a pulsar behind its companion can form two strong-lensing images. These images…
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…
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…
So far essentially all black hole masses in X-ray binaries have been obtained by observing the companion star's velocity and light curves as functions of the orbital phase. However a major uncertainty is the estimate of the orbital…
Be/X-ray binaries are the most numerous group of high-mass X-ray binaries. Their long-term optical and infrared variability reflects the evolution of the circumstellar disk around the luminous companion. This variability manifests…
In this paper we present a comprehensive survey of 41 X-ray binaries (10 HMXBs and 31 LMXBs) with Chandra, with specific emphasis on the Fe K region and the narrow Fe Kalpha line, at the highest resolution possible. We find that: a) The Fe…
Recent time-resolved X-ray spectra of a neutron star undergoing a superburst revealed an Fe K line and edge consistent with reprocessing from the surrounding accretion disc. Here, we present models of X-ray reflection from a constant…
We present preliminary results from our archival Spitzer Space Telescope program aimed at characterizing the mid-IR properties of compact objects, both isolated and in binary systems, i.e. white dwarfs, X-ray binaries, cataclysmic…
We review the recent multifrequency studies of galactic black hole binaries, aiming at revealing the underlying emission processes and physical properties in these systems. The optical and infrared observations are important for determining…
We give a simple, but accurate method that can be used to account for illumination in compact binary systems which have a low-mass companion, even if spherically symmetric illumination of the secondary star (not necessarily on the main…
The mass function and statistics of binaries provide important diagnostics of the star formation process. Despite this importance, the mass function at low masses remains poorly known due to observational difficulties caused by the…
We calculate self-consistent models of X-ray irradiated accretion discs in close binary systems. We show that a point X-ray source powered by accretion and located in the disc plane cannot modify the disc structure, mainly because of the…
One of the principal scientific objectives of the upcoming Constellation-X mission is to attempt to map the inner regions of accretion disks around black holes in Seyfert galaxies by reverberation mapping of the Fe K fluorescence line. This…
We present simultaneous high-resolution optical spectroscopy and X-ray data of the X-ray binary system GR Mus (XB1254-690), obtained over a full range of orbital phases. The X-ray observations are used to re-establish the orbital ephemeris…
X-ray binaries are excellent laboratories to study collapsed objects. On the one hand, transient X-ray binaries contain the best examples of stellar-mass black holes while persistent X-ray binaries mostly harbour accreting neutron stars.…
Compact objects undergoing mass transfer exhibit significant (and double-peaked) $H_{\alpha}$ emission lines. Recently, new methods have been developed to identify black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs) and calculate their systematic parameters…