Related papers: Accretion Flows in X-ray Binaries
The illumination of the accretion disc in a neutron star X-ray binary by X-rays emitted from (or close to) the neutron star surface is explored through general relativistic ray tracing simulations. The applicability of the canonical suite…
Multi-wavelength observations of the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1118+480 have offered abundant spectral and timing information about the source, and have thus provided serious challenges to theoretical models. We propose a coupled…
In this paper, we initiate a new study of steady funnel-flow accretion onto strongly magnetized neutron stars, including a full treatment of shock generation. As a first step, we adopt a simplified model considering the flow within…
It is expected that extreme mass accretion rate onto strongly magnetised neutron star results in appearance of accretion columns above stellar surface. For a distant observer, rotation of a star results in periodic variations of X-ray flux.…
We investigate the dependence of the viewing angle in supercritical accretion flows and discuss the observational implications of galactic black-hole candidates and ultraluminous X-ray sources. When the mass accretion rate exceeds the…
This contribution reviews the properties of nuclear activity in nearby galaxies, with emphasis on their implications for the demography of nuclear black holes and the nature of accretion flows in the regime of very low accretion rates.
Strong gravity in the immediate vicinity of compact objects (e.g., black holes, neutron stars) necessitates inclusion of general relativistic effects. Traditionally, pseudo-Newtonian potential representation of gravity were favored to…
We review the properties of 40 X-ray binaries that contain either a confirmed black hole or a black hole candidate. After discussing briefly the significance of these Galactic black holes to both astronomy and physics, we present basic data…
In this lecture the basic theory of accretion disks is reviewed, with emphasis on aspects relevant for X-ray binaries and Cataclysmic Variables. The text gives a general introduction as well as a selective discussion of a number of more…
Neutron stars accreting matter from low-mass binary companions are observed to undergo bursts of X-rays due to the thermonuclear explosion of material on the neutron star surface. We use recent results on superfluid and superconducting…
In astrophysics, accretion is the process by which a massive object acquires matter. The infall leads to the extraction of gravitational energy. Accretion onto dark compact objects such as black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs is a…
We examine the X-ray - radio correlation in Galactic black hole sources. We highlight some of the results which extend the flux-flux relations to sources with very high accretion rates. Some of the recent results indicate that the…
In this book chapter, we will briefly review the current empirical understanding of the relation between accretion state and and outflows in accreting stellar mass black holes. The focus will be on the empirical connections between X-ray…
Ultraluminous X-ray sources are extragalactic, off-nucleus, point sources in galaxies with an X-ray luminosity above 3x10^39 erg/s, thought to be powered by accretion onto a compact object. Possible explanations include accretion onto…
The extreme conditions found near black holes and neutron stars provide a unique opportunity for testing physical theories. Observations of both types of compact objects can be used to probe regions of strong gravity, allowing for tests of…
In this paper we discuss the recent advances in the quantitative comparison of accretion, and the accretion:jet coupling, in accreting black holes in both X-ray binaries (where M ~ 10Msun) and Active Galactic Nuclei (10^5Msun < M <…
Galactic accretion interacts in complex ways with gaseous halos, including galactic winds. As a result, observational diagnostics typically probe a range of intertwined physical phenomena. Because of this complexity, cosmological…
Most accreting black holes emit a substantial fraction of their luminosity in hard X-rays/soft $\gamma$-rays of up to $\sim{\rm few}\times100$ keV. The observations suggest that the radiating gas is very hot, $T>10^9$ K, and optically thin.…
The spectrum of the hard X-ray background records the history of accretion processes integrated over the cosmic time. Several observational and theoretical evidences indicate that a significant fraction of the energy density is obscured by…
The radio emission from supermassive black holes in nearby early-type galaxies can be used to test possible explanations for their low luminosities. We calculate the expected contribution from thermal synchrotron emission from hot accretion…