An estimate of the supernova kick velocities for high-mass X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud

This work investigates the possible supernova kick velocities imposed on high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Comparisons are made between the location of such systems and the locations of young stellar clusters on the premise that these may represent the birthplace of many of these systems. Measurements of the separation of clusters and HMXBs, and an estimate of the typical lifetimes of these systems, lead to a minimum average space velocity of 30 km s⁻¹. This value is compared to theoretical estimates.