Optical/infrared observations unveiling the formation, nature and evolution of High-Mass X-ray Binaries

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• 作者：Sylvain Chaty
• 关键词：Circumstellar matter &ndash ; stars ; emission-line ; B[e] &ndash ; X-rays ; binaries &ndash ; X-rays ; individual (IGR J16318-4848 ; IGR J17544-2619)
• 刊名：Advances in Space Research
• 出版年：15 December, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：52
• 期：12
• 页码：2132-2142
• 全文大小：876 K

文摘

In this review I first describe the nature of the three kinds of High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), accreting through: (i) Be circumstellar disc, (ii) supergiant stellar wind, and (iii) Roche lobe filling supergiants.

I then report on the discovery of two new populations of HMXBs hosting supergiant stars, recently revealed by a wealth of new observations, coming from the high energy side (INTEGRAL, Swift, XMM, Chandra satellites), and complemented by multi-wavelength optical/infrared observations (mainly ESO facilities). The first population is constituted of obscured supergiant HMXBs, the second one of supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs), exhibiting short and intense X-ray flares.

I finally discuss the formation and evolution of HMXBs, constrain the accretion models (e.g. clumpy winds, transitory accretion disc, magneto-centrifugal barrier), show evidences suggesting the existence of an evolutionary link, include comparisons with population synthesis models, and finally build a consistent scenario explaining the various characteristics of these extreme celestial sources.

Because they are the likely progenitors of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), and also of neutron star/black hole binary mergers, related to short/hard gamma-ray bursts, the knowledge of the nature, formation and evolution of these HMXB populations is of prime importance.