scholarly journals X-Ray Observations of B-Emission Stars (Review Paper)

1987 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 291-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.P.J. van den Heuvel ◽  
S. Rappaport

Most evidence on X-ray emission from the vicinity of Be stars concerns the Be/X-ray binaries. Presently some 20 of these systems are known, making them the most numerous class of massive X-ray binaries. Evidence for the binary nature of these systems comes from (i) Doppler modulation of X-ray pulse periods, (ii) periodic X-ray flaring behavior, and (iii) correlated optical and X-ray variability. The correlation between X-ray pulse period and orbital period found by Corbet (1984) can potentially provide important information on the densities and velocities in the circumstellar disks of Be stars.Evolutionary models indicate that the Be/X-ray binaries represent a later stage in the evolution of normal close binaries with initial primary masses predominantly in the the range 8 to 15 M⊙ . These models indicate that also a class of slightly less massive Be star binaries should exist in which the compact companions are white dwarfs. Be-type blue stragglers in galactic clusters may be such systems.

1982 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 327-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul Rappaport ◽  
Edward P.J. Van Den Heuvel

Be star binaries with neutron star companions are shown to constitute a major class of X-ray sources. Some general observational and interpretive techniques of X-ray astronomy are reviewed. Data for 12 Be/X-ray binary systems are summarized. The Be/X-ray binaries are found to be systematically wider systems, with lower-mass primaries, and with significantly more transient behavior than the “standard” massive X-ray binaries such as Cen X-3 and SMC X-1. The difference between the two types of X-ray binaries is explained in the context of slightly different evolutionary scenarios for the progenitor binaries. The “standard” massive X-ray binaries result from wind-mass-loss dominated evolution of very massive close binaries, while Be/X-ray binaries probably result from mass-transfer dominated evolution of systems with primary masses ≲ 20 M⊙. The implications of the X-ray observations of Be/X-ray binaries for Be stars in general are discussed.


1987 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 509-513
Author(s):  
G.M.H.J. Habets

Rappaport & Van den Heuvel (1982) suggested the following formation scenario for B emission (Be)/X-ray binaries: the progenitor of the neutron star is the initial primary star with mass M1 = 10-20 M⊙, which during hydrogen-shell burning transfers mass to the companion (with M2 < M1). The secondary is spun up due to disk-accretion (e.g. Packet 1981) and has become a rapidly rotating Be star (M ≃ 10-20 M⊙).With this scenario the observed orbital periods (Porb > 15 d) of the Be/X-ray binaries can be explained. This was shown by van den Heuvel (1983) by adopting an idealized period distribution for unevolved O- and B-type close binaries with Porb, < 30 d (see Fig. 1) and assuming conservative evolution, i.e. that mass and angular momentum are conserved during mass transfer.


1998 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 362-363
Author(s):  
A.T. Okazaki

We consider the structure and time dependent behavior of the outflow in disks of Be stars in Be/X-ray binaries, based on the viscous decretion disk scenario (Lee et al. 1991). In this scenario, the matter ejected from the star with the Keplerian velocity at the equatorial surface of the star drifts outward because of the effects of viscosity, and forms the disk.


1994 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 206-207
Author(s):  
A.J. Norton ◽  
M.J. Coe ◽  
C. Everall ◽  
P. Roche ◽  
L. Bildsten ◽  
...  

EXO2030+375 consists of a neutron star in an eccentric 46 day orbit around a 20th magnitude Be-star companion (Coe et al., 1988; Parmar et al., 1989; Stollberg et al., 1993). The Be-star is thought to be surrounded by a shell/disc of material which is responsible for the infrared excess and Balmer emission lines which are characteristic of Be-stars in general. At periastron, the neutron star passes through this circumstellar material, giving rise to enhanced accretion onto the neutron star surface. As a result of this, the X-ray emission (pulsed at the neutron star spin period of 41.8s) increases dramatically, so producing the transient, outburst behaviour which is commonly seen in Be-star / X-ray binaries.


2000 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 422-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.H. Telting

AbstractBe stars can switch between non-disk, gradual disk growth, disk-loss events, and shell-line phases. Many aspects of this Be phenomenon are still not understood. In this paper I review recent work on variability in Be-star disks, divided in four different topics: disk growth (Section 1), long-term V/R variations and global disk oscillations (Section 2), spectacular variations (Section 3), and, concisely, the disk variability in Be/X-ray binaries (Section 4).


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S256) ◽  
pp. 355-360
Author(s):  
Vallia Antoniou ◽  
Andreas Zezas ◽  
Despina Hatzidimitriou

AbstractUsing Chandra, XMM-Newton and optical photometric catalogs we study the young X-ray binary (XRB) populations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We find that the Be/X-ray binaries (Be-XRBs) are observed in regions with star-formation (SF) rate bursts ~30–70 Myr ago, which coincides with the age of maximum Be-star formation, while regions with strong but more recent SF (e.g., the Wing) are deficient in Be-XRBs. Using the 2dF spectrograph of the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) we have obtained optical spectra of 20 High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) in the SMC. All of these sources were proved to be Be-XRBs. Similar spectral-type distributions of Be-XRBs and Be field stars in the SMC have been found. On the other hand, the Be-XRBs in the Galaxy follow a different distribution than the isolated Be stars in the Galaxy, in agreement with previous studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (2) ◽  
pp. 1797-1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca G Martin ◽  
Alessia Franchini

ABSTRACT Giant outbursts of Be/X-ray binaries may occur when a Be-star disc undergoes strong eccentricity growth due to the Kozai–Lidov (KL) mechanism. The KL effect acts on a disc that is highly inclined to the binary orbital plane provided that the disc aspect ratio is sufficiently small. The eccentric disc overflows its Roche lobe and material flows from the Be star disc over to the companion neutron star causing X-ray activity. With N-body simulations and steady state decretion disc models we explore system parameters for which a disc in the Be/X-ray binary 4U 0115+634 is KL unstable and the resulting time-scale for the oscillations. We find good agreement between predictions of the model and the observed giant outburst time-scale provided that the disc is not completely destroyed by the outburst. This allows the outer disc to be replenished between outbursts and a sufficiently short KL oscillation time-scale. An initially eccentric disc has a shorter KL oscillation time-scale compared to an initially circular orbit disc. We suggest that the chaotic nature of the outbursts is caused by the sensitivity of the mechanism to the distribution of material within the disc. The outbursts continue provided that the Be star supplies material that is sufficiently misaligned to the binary orbital plane. We generalize our results to Be/X-ray binaries with varying orbital period and find that if the Be star disc is flared, it is more likely to be unstable to KL oscillations in a smaller orbital period binary, in agreement with observations.


1979 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 117-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Barlow

In addition to O-type stars, this review will discuss the radio and infrared properties of B supergiants and Wolf-Rayet stars, since it is generally accepted that these objects represent later stages in the evolution of O stars. The radio properties of X-ray binaries which exhibit non-thermal emission will not be discussed. Hjellming (1977) gives an excellent review of the radio properties of close binaries, including X-ray binaries.


2000 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 656-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Coe

AbstractThis paper will review the status of our observations and understanding of Be stars in X-ray binary systems. In virtually all cases the binary partner to the Be star is a neutron star. The circumstellar disk provides the accretion fuel and hence stimulates the X-ray emission, whilst the neutron star provides a valuable probe of the environment around the Be star. The results coming from studies of such systems are helping in our understanding of the Be phenomenon.


Author(s):  
R O Brown ◽  
M J Coe ◽  
W C G Ho ◽  
A T Okazaki

Abstract As the largest population of high mass X-ray binaries, Be/X-ray binaries provide an excellent laboratory to investigate the extreme physics of neutron stars. It is generally accepted that Be stars possess a circumstellar disc, providing an additional source of accretion to the stellar winds present around young hot stars. Interaction between the neutron star and the disc is often the dominant accretion mechanism. A large amount of work has gone into modelling the properties of these circumstellar discs, allowing for the explanation of a number of observable phenomena. In this paper, smoothed particle hydroynamics simulations are performed whilst varying the model parameters (orbital period, eccentricity, the mass ejection rate of the Be star and the viscosity and orientation of the disc). The relationships between the model parameters and the disc’s characteristics (base gas density, the accretion rate of the neutron star and the disc’s size) are presented. The observational evidence for a dependency of the size of the Be star’s circumstellar disc on the orbital period (and semi-major axis) is supported by the simulations.


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