X-RAY BINARIES

M.C. Ramadevi, JRF,

Space Astronomy and Instrumentation Division,

ISRO Satellite Centre.

Abstract

X-ray binaries are the most luminous galactic X-ray sources. The two different
classes
of X-ray binaries and their properties are discussed in this essay. Observations on
some of them is also discussed. The evolution of the High Mass X-ray Binaries and
Low Mass X-ray Binaries is also discussed.

Introduction

The rocket flights flown in 1960s discovered very bright cosmic X-ray sources with
X-ray luminosities of the order of about 10°° to 10° erg s~', at the time when no
physical processes were known to generate such enormous x-ray luminosities. At the
outset, the understanding of such bright X-ray sources was possible with the launch
of UHURU satellite which discovered two pulsating X-ray sources, Her X-1 and Cen
X-3, observations of which showed X-ray eclipses leading to the recognition that
these
sources are in binaries. The intense X-rays from these sources were eventually
recog-
nized to arise from the accretion of matter from the normal star onto the surface
of
an incredibly collapsed star.

X-ray binaries are a special class of binaries that emit X-rays. An X-ray binary
system consists of a normal star (in most cases) or a white dwarf (rarely)
transferring
mass onto a compact object which might be a neutron star or a black hole. The com-
pact star can also be a white dwarf and such a binary system is called cataclysmic
variable.

The compact object accretes matter from the companion through Roche lobe
overflow or through stellar wind accretion. The matter accreted from the companion
star flows onto the compact star under the influence of its gravitational
potential. As
the inflowing matter has an angular momentum associated with it, it spirals onto
the
compact star forming an accretion disk. The violent collisions between the
particles
in the inflowing matter heat the gas to very high temperatures of about 10’ K to
10° K. In this process the gravitational potential energy of the infalling matter
is
converted to the kinetic energy and eventually into radiation in the form of X-
rays.

X-ray binaries are extremely important objects as they serve as laboratories in

understanding the physical mechanisms of accretion and the nature of the compact
object with good proximity of observations.