A preliminary version of a catalog of high-low-mass X-ray binaries

We introduce a catalogue of X-ray binaries. The full catalogue is available at http://astroa.physics.metu.edu.tr/XRBC/. The aim of this catalogue is to provide basic information about X-ray sources and their counterparts. The catalog contains positions, information about distances and counterparts, spectral, photometric and timing properties of the X-ray sources in the X-ray and optical bands, as well as references. The list of references, comments and the catalog as a whole will be periodically updated to include the most up-to-date information about all X-ray binaries and guide users to the recent literature on individual sources. In some cases, there is some doubt about the nature of an X-ray source, which has been noted. The sources are ordered according to right ascension. Here, we present a guide to the organization of the full catalogue. The full catalogue is represented here with an excerpt containing two HMXBs and two LMXBs as examples.     

Spectral measurements of Cyg X-3: A thermal source embedded in hot plasma within a cold shell

The attempts at unified model fitting to explain the spectral variations in Cyg X-3 suggest equally probable fits with a combination of an absorbed blackbody and a separately absorbed power law with an exponential cut-off or a composite of absorbed free-free emission with a power law hard X-ray component apart from the iron emission line. These seemingly ordinary but ad hoc mixtures of simple X-ray emission mechanisms have a profound implication about the geometry of the X-ray source. While the first set suggests a black-hole nature of the compact object, the second combination is consistent with a neutron star binary picture. The spectral variability at hard X-ray energies above 30 keV can provide crucial input for the unified picture. In this paper, we present spectral observations of Cyg X-3, made in our on-going survey of galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources in the 20–200 keV energy region, using Large Area Scintillation counter Experiment. The data show a clear power-law photon spectrum of the form dN/dE ∼ E^−2.8 in the 20 to 130 keV energy range. A comparison with earlier data suggests that the total number of X-ray photons in the entire 2–500 keV energy band is conserved at all time for a given luminosity level irrespective of the state. We propose that this behaviour can be explained by a simple geometry in which a thermal X-ray source is embedded in a hot plasma formed by winds from the accretion disk within a cold shell. The high/soft and low/hard X-ray states of the source are simply the manifestation of the extent of the surrounding scattering medium in which the seed photons are Comptonized and hot plasma can be maintained by either the X-ray driven winds or the magneto-centrifugal winds.     

On the Nature of the Variable Gamma-Ray Sources at Low Galactic Latitudes

Population studies of EGRET gamma-ray sources indicate that there is a distinctive population of bright sources at low galactic latitudes. The sources have a distribution consistent with that of young galactic objects, with a concentration toward the inner spiral arms. There is a subgroup that displays strong variability with timescales from days to months. Following an earlier suggestion by Kaufman Bernadó et al. (2002), we explore the possibility that these sources could be high-mass microquasars. Detailed models for the gamma-ray emission that include inverse Compton interactions of electrons in the relativistic jets and photons from all local fields (stellar UV photons, synchrotron photons, soft X-ray photons from the accretion disk, and hard X-ray photons from a corona) are presented. We conclude that microquasars are excellent candidates for the parent population of the subgroup of variable low-latitude EGRET sources.     

Late-type X-ray Emitting Binaries in the Solar Neighborhood and in Star Forming Regions

We present a spectroscopic and photometric follow-up of binary stars, discovered in a sample of X-ray sources, aimed at a deep characterization of the stellar X-ray population in the solar neighborhood and in Star Forming Regions (SFRs). The sources have been selected from the RasTyc sample, obtained by the cross-correlation between the ROSAT all-sky survey and Tycho catalogues (Guillout et al., 1999). Thanks to the high resolution spectroscopy, we have obtained good radial velocity curves, whose solutions provided us with the mass ratios and minimum masses of the components. We have also obtained an accurate spectral classification with codes specifically developed by us. In addition, we could obtain information on the age of the sources through the Lii-6708 line and on the chromospheric activity level through the Hα line.We show also some results on very young pre-main sequence (PMS) binaries discovered as optical counterparts of X-ray sources in SFRs. The spectroscopic and photometric monitoring has allowed us to determine the orbital and physical parameters and the rotation periods, that are of great importance for testing the models of PMS evolution.     

应用X射线源的航天器姿态测量

在介绍X射线源和X射线探测器、准直器的基础上,重点描述了应用X射线源测量航天器姿态参数的原理和方法。对X射线星扫描仪的结构、扫描观测X射线源方法和矩形准直器响应函数等做了介绍,较详细地论述了应用单准直器X射线星扫描仪和差分准直器X射线星扫描仪确定航天器姿态参数的测量模型,并进行了二者间的比较和分析。简单讨论了X射线星扫描仪测量建模和应用测量模型拟合航天器姿态参数的算法问题。最后,对采用编码孔径系统确定航天器姿态参数的方法做了概括性介绍。     

Photon Spectroscopy with Imaging X-Ray Instruments

Individual X-ray photons in the keV energy range produce hundreds of photoelectrons in a single pixel of a CCD array detector. The number of photoelectrons produced is a linear function of the photon energy, allowing the measurement of spectral information with an imaging detector system. Most solar X-ray telescopes, such as Yohkoh/SXT and Hinode/XRT, use CCD detectors in an integrating mode and are designed to make temperature estimates from multiband filter photometry. We show how such instruments can be used in a new way to perform a limited type of this photon spectroscopy. By measuring the variance in intensity of a series of repeated images through a single filter of an X-ray source, the mean energy per detected photon can be determined. This energy is related to the underlying coronal spectrum, and hence it can be used to deduce the mean plasma temperature. We apply this technique to data from the Yohkoh Soft X-Ray Telescope and compare the temperatures obtained with this technique with the temperatures derived using the standard filter ratio method for a postflare loop system. Given the large dynamic range of the soft X-ray flux observed from the Sun, we describe the requirements for a future instrument that would be better suited to performing photon spectroscopy. B.J. Labonte deceased 24 October 2005.     

The Spin-X wide-field X-ray monitor of the Spectrum-X-Gamma astrophysical observatory

The Spin-X wide-field X-ray monitor of the Spectrum-X-Gamma astrophysical observatory, which is based on the principle of a coded-aperture telescope, is designed to detect and localize cosmic gammaray-burst (GRB) sources; to survey large areas of the sky in search of new transients; and to carry out long-term observations of bright Galactic sources, including X-ray bursters. The monitor consists of two noncoaxial identical modules, Spin-X1 and Spin-X2, which together cover 6.8% of the sky. The high-apogee, four-day orbit of the Spectrum-XG satellite allows the instrument to be in observing mode more than 50% of the time. Having simulated the rate of GRB detection by Spin-X, we show that extrapolating BATSE 50–300-keV average data on the number of GRBs, their duration, and their mean energy spectrum to the X-ray energy band leads to disagreement with the observed detection rate of GRBs in the X-ray band. The number of GRBs that can be detected and localized with an accuracy r≤3′ (3σ) (the error-circle radius) by Spin-X is estimated to be ten bursts per year. We present data on the Spin-X sensitivity achievable during long-term observations of persistent and transient sources and on its sensitivity to X-ray bursts from Galactic sources in the 2–30-keV energy band.     

Type-I X-ray bursts from voids: tracers of weakly accreting bursters?

We obtained long-term (10–20 years) light curves for seven X-ray bursters. These sources exhibited no prolonged episodes of luminosities exceeding several percent of the Eddington luminosity over the entire observing period. For four sources, we found upper limits for the luminosity of over 5 years. These limits proved to be below 10³⁶ erg s^?1. We estimated the total number of such sources in our Galaxy.     

X射线脉冲星导航可用目标源研究

脉冲星具有自转非常稳定的特性,在空间自主导航中有重要的应用前景.选择和研究一组适合于脉冲星导航使用的候选目标源非常重要,决定脉冲星导航精度的主要因素有:导航目标源X射线流量强度、目标源的位置精度和旋转参数精度.对可用于导航的一些X射线源进行了讨论研究,并对最适合做导航研究的转动能驱动的X射线脉冲星进行统计分析.     

Morphologies of AGN host galaxies using HST/ACS in the CDFS-GOODS field

Using HST/ACS images in four bands F435W, F606W, F775W and F850LP, we identify optical counterparts to the X-ray sources in the Chandra Deep Field South in the GOODS South field. A detailed study has been made of these sources to study their morphological types. We use methods like decomposition of galaxy luminosity profiles, color maps and visual inspection of 192 galaxies which are identified as possible optical counterparts of Chandra X-ray sources in the CDFS-GOODS field. We find that most moderate luminosity AGN hosts are bulge dominated in the redshift range (z≈0.4–1.3), but not merging/interacting galaxies. This implies probable fueling of the moderate luminosity AGN by mechanisms other than those merger driven.     

Spatial Structure and Spectra of X-Ray Sources During the 0.8 – 4.5 GHz Reverse Drift Bursts Observations

In the years 2002 – 2005, 38 groups of the reverse drift bursts (RDBs) were observed in the 0.8 – 4.5 GHz frequency range by the Ondřejov radiospectrograph. In 21 cases, which were observed at the times of the RHESSI observations, spatial structure, positional changes, and spectra of X-ray sources during RDB observations are studied in detail. First, based on the frequency drift and the spatial structure of the associated X-ray source, the events are classified as: (a) fast drifting RDBs with a compact X-ray source, (b) fast drifting RDBs with a multiple X-ray source (FM), and slowly drifting RDBs. Then, the spectra of X-ray sources at the times of RDBs are analyzed. It is found that most fast drifting RDBs (16 of 17 cases) are associated with the spectra having a distinct power-law (non-thermal) component. In contrast, the X-ray spectra associated with the slowly drifting RDBs are predominantly purely thermal (in three out of four cases; in the 26 July 2004, case the X-ray spectrum is thermal and high temperature, with non-thermal component). Two special cases of RDBs observed during the 28 October 2003, and 23 July 2004, flares are added for comparison. The most frequent events are those with fast drifting RDBs, a compact short-lasting X-ray sources, and a power-law X-ray spectrum. The individual reverse drift bursts (∼1 s duration) do not show a clear temporal association with individual peaks of hard X-ray bursts. During slowly drifting RDBs the shape of the associated X-ray source changed or expanded. Among them the most interesting one was observed in 26 July 2004, when the very slowly drifting RDBs (+40 MHz s⁻¹) were associated with an X-ray loop-like source continuously elongating in the southwest direction. In the most cases the model of RDBs with electron beams is compatible with the observations, but in flares on 26 July 2004, and 28 October 2003, the RDBs are probably generated by some other type of an agent; we propose here a thermal conduction front.     

IGR J16318-4848: An X-ray source in a dense envelope?

We analyze in detail the ASCA observations of the hard X-ray source IGR J16318-4848, which was recently discovered by the INTEGRAL observatory (Courvoisier et al. 2003). The source has an anomalously hard spectrum in the energy range 0.5–10 keV and is virtually undetectable below 4 keV because of strong photoabsorption (n _H L>4×10²³ cm^?2). The Kα line of neutral or weakly ionized iron with an equivalent width of ～2.5 keV dominates in the energy range 4–10 keV. There is also evidence for the presence of a second line at energy ～7 keV. Our analysis of archival observational data for the infrared counterpart of IGR J16318-4848 that was discovered by Foschini et al. (2003) revealed the source in the wavelength range 1–15 µm. Available data suggest that the object can be an X-ray binary system surrounded by a dense envelope. The source may be a high-mass X-ray binary similar to GX 301-2. We believe that IGR J16318-4848 can be the first representative of a hitherto unknown population of strongly absorbed Galactic X-ray sources that could not be detected by previous X-ray observatories.     

RXTE observations of the strongly absorbed sources IGR J16318-4848 and IGR J16358-4726

We analyzed the RXTE observations of two strongly absorbed sources, IGR J16318-4848 and IGR J16358-4726. We were able to obtain the 3–25 keV spectra of the sources by taking into account the contribution of the Galactic diffuse background to the X-ray flux recorded with the RXTE/PCA spectrometer. The spectra of the sources are well described by a power-law decrease of the photon flux with energy with a photon index of ～1 and strong photoabsorption. The photoabsorption column density n_HL for IGR J16318-4848 derived from the RXTE observation on March 14.1, 2003, is shown to be much higher than its value obtained by the XMM observatory on February 10.7, 2003. This result may suggest that the source has variable absorption that may depend on the orbital phase of the system. We point out that all of the three X-ray sources discovered by the INTEGRAL observatory in the region (l,b)～(336,0) (IGR J16318-4848, IGR J16320-4751, and IGR J16358-4726) have strong intrinsic photoabsorption and may be high-mass binaries. Their proximity to the region where the tangent to the Galactic spiral arm passes, i.e., to the region of enhanced concentration of young high-mass stars, can serve as an indirect confirmation of this assumption. If our assumption about the positions of the sources in the Norma spiral arm is valid, then we can roughly estimate their heliocentric distances: ～6–8 kpc.     

Normal galaxies in the all-sky survey by the eROSITA X-ray telescope of the Spectrum-X-Gamma observatory

We analyze the statistical properties of normal galaxies to be detected in the all-sky survey by the eROSITA X-ray telescope of the Spectrum-X-Gamma observatory. With the current configuration and parameters of the eROSITA telescope, the sensitivity of a 4-year-long all-sky survey will be ≈10^?14 erg s^?1 in the 0.5–2 keV band. This will allow ～(1.5–2) × 10⁴ normal galaxies with approximately the same contribution of star-forming and elliptical galaxies to be detected. All galaxies of the X-ray survey are expected to enter into the existing far-infrared (IRAS) or near-infrared (2MASS) catalogs; the sample of star-forming galaxies will be approximately equivalent in sensitivity to the sample of star-forming galaxies in the IRAS catalog of infrared sources. Thus, a large homogeneous sample of normal galaxies with measured X-ray, near-infrared, and far-infrared fluxes will be formed. About 90% of the galaxies in the survey are located within ～200–400 Mpc. A typical (most probable) galaxy will have a luminosity log L _X ～ 40.5–41.0, will be located at a distance of ～70–90 Mpc, and will be either a star-forming galaxy with a star formation rate of ～20M _⊙ yr^?1 whose X-ray emission is produced by ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) or an elliptical galaxy with amass log M _* ～ 11.3 emitting through to a hot interstellar gas. The galaxies within 35 Mpc will collectively contain ～10² ULXs with luminosities log L _X > 40, ～80% of whichwill be the only luminous source in the galaxy. Thus, although the angular resolution of the eROSITA telescope is too low for the luminosity function of compact sources in galaxies to be studied in detail, the survey data will allow one to investigate its bright end and, possibly, to impose constraints on the maximum luminosity of ULXs.     

The Magnificent Seven in the dusty prairie

The Magnificent Seven have all been discovered by their exceptional soft X-ray spectra and high ratios of X-ray to optical flux. They all are considered to be nearby sources. Searching for similar objects with larger distances, one expects larger interstellar absorption resulting in harder X-ray counterparts. Current interstellar absorption treatment depends on chosen abundances and scattering cross-sections of the elements as well as on the 3D distribution of the interstellar medium. After a discussion of these factors we use the comprehensive 3D measurements of the Local Bubble by Lallement et al. (2003, Astron. Astrophys. 411, 447) to construct two simple models of the 3D distribution of the hydrogen column density. We test these models by using a set of soft X-ray sources with known distances. Finally, we discuss possible applications for distance estimations and population synthesis studies.      

The formation of X-ray radiation in a boundary layer during disk accretion onto a neutron star

We present computed radiation spectra for the boundary layer (BL) of the accretion disk that is formed near the surface of a neutron star. Both free-free processes and Comptonization were taken into account. Our computations are based on the hydrodynamic solution obtained by Popham and Sunyaev (2001) for the BL structure. The computed spectra are highly diluted compared to the Planck spectra of the same surface temperature. They are complex in shape; in particular, an intense Wien emission component is formed in their high-energy region at high accretion rates. In general, the computed spectra are harder than those observed in actual X-ray sources. This is the result of a very high temperature found by Popham and Sunyaev (2001) for the BL. We show that such temperatures could result from an oversimplified treatment of radiative transfer in their paper, which completely ignored the frequency dependence of the matter opacity and radiation intensity. Our computations indicate that at moderate accretion rates, a proper treatment of radiative transfer with allowance for Comptonization leads to appreciably lower plasma temperatures and to softer radiation spectra.     

Magnetic cataclysmic variables: optical counterparts of X-ray and EUV sources

The magnetic cataclysmic variables (mCVs) are a small but astrophysically important class of X-ray source. This paper discusses some of the work carried out by the author and his collaborators on these objects, which were discovered as part of various optical identification programs of both X-ray and extreme ultraviolet sources observed by the HEAO-1 and ROSAT satellites. Definitions are given of the two classes of mCVs; the Polars and the Intermediate Polars. The reasons why mCVs are significant sources of X-ray and EUV radiation are also discussed. Individual systems which have been the subject of intensive follow-up programmes at SAAO are then described, and the implications arising from these observations are discussed.     

The luminosity function of low-mass X-ray binaries in galaxies

The X-ray luminosity function of low-mass binaries constructed from the observations of point like X-ray sources in galactic bulges can be explained in terms of the main evolutionary relations for the rate of mass transfer onto a compact object. The observed scatter of luminosities for individual low-mass X-ray sources in our Galaxy is shown to be satisfactorily described by a symmetric quasi-Lorentz curve with a dispersion proportional to the mean luminosity. Such a form of the mean luminosity function for individual sources does not affect the power-law pattern of the luminosity function for the entire population of sources that is expected for a power-law dependence of the mass transfer rate in a close binary on the mass of the Roche lobe—filling optical component.     

A deficit of type I X-ray bursts from low-accretion-rate binaries: Data from the TTM/COMIS telescope onboard the Mir-Kvant observatory

We analyze 175 sessions of Galactic-center observations with the TTM/COMIS telescope onboard the Mir-Kvant observatory from 1987 until 1998. Because of its wide field of view (～ 15°×15°), much of the Galaxy and, hence, a large number of X-ray sources were simultaneously within the telescope aperture. During the observations, 47 X-ray bursts were detected, 33 of which are most likely type I bursts related to unstable helium burning on the surfaces of neutron stars. All the detected type I bursts were identified with known X-ray sources; the pre-and post-burst luminosities of these sources measured with the TTM telescope were high. No bursts were detected from voids, i.e., from sources whose luminosities in quiescence did not exceed the TTM detection threshold. This result allows us to constrain the combination of the number of binary sources with low accretion rates and the properties of X-ray bursts from such sources, in particular, the peak luminosity during bursts and the frequency of their occurrence.