scholarly journals Monitoring clumpy wind accretion in supergiant fast-X-ray transients with XMM-Newton

2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A73 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ferrigno ◽  
E. Bozzo ◽  
P. Romano
Keyword(s):  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Absorption Column ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Massive Structure ◽  
Observational Program

Supergiant fast-X-ray transients (SFXTs) are a sub-class of supergiant high-mass X-ray binaries hosting a neutron star accreting from the stellar wind of a massive OB companion. Compared to the classical systems, SFXTs display a pronounced variability in X-rays that has long been (at least partly) ascribed to the presence of clumps in the stellar wind. Here, we report on the first set of results of an ongoing XMM-Newton observational program searching for spectroscopic variability during the X-ray flares and outbursts of the SFXTs. The goal of the paper is to present the observational program and show that the obtained results are in agreement with expectations, with a number of flares (between one and four) generally observed per source and per observation (20 ks-long, on average). We base our work on a systematic and uniform analysis method optimized to consistently search for spectral signatures of a variable absorption column density, as well as other parameters of the spectral continuum. Our preliminary results show that the program is successful and the outcomes of the analysis support previous findings that most of the X-ray flares seem associated to the presence of a massive structure approaching and being accreted by the compact object. However, we cannot rule out that other mechanisms are at work together with clumps to enhance the X-ray variability of SFXTs. This is expected according to current theoretical models. The success of these observations shows that our observational program can be a powerful instrument to deepen our understanding of the X-ray variability in SFXTs. Further observations will help us to obtain a statistically robust sample. This will be required to conduct a systematic analysis of the whole SFXT class with the ultimate goal being to disentangle the roles of the different mechanisms giving rise to these events.

scholarly journals Stellar winds in high-mass X-ray binaries

1995 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 271-279
Author(s):  
Lex Kaper
Keyword(s):  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Binary Systems ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Ionization Zone ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Massive Binary Systems ◽  
X Ray Binaries

High-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) represent an important stage in the evolution of massive binary systems. The compact object (in most cases an X-ray pulsar) not only provides information on the orbital and stellar parameters, but also probes the stellar wind of the massive companion, an OB supergiant or Be star. The X-ray luminosity directly depends on the density and the velocity of the wind at the orbit of the X-ray source. Important constraints on the stellar-wind structure can be set by studying the orbital modulation of UV P-Cygni profiles. In this paper different aspects of the interactive wind-accretion process are highlighted, such as the highly variable X-ray luminosity, the influence of the X-rays on the radiative acceleration of the wind inside the ionization zone, and the large-scale structures that trail the X-ray source in its orbit.

scholarly journals Stellar Winds in Massive X-ray Binaries

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S329) ◽  
pp. 355-358
Author(s):  
Peter Kretschmar ◽  
Silvia Martínez-Núñez ◽  
Enrico Bozzo ◽  
Lidia M. Oskinova ◽  
Joachim Puls ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Compact Object ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Current State ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Strong Winds ◽  
The One ◽  
X Ray Binaries

AbstractStrong winds from massive stars are a topic of interest to a wide range of astrophysical fields. In High-Mass X-ray Binaries the presence of an accreting compact object on the one side allows to infer wind parameters from studies of the varying properties of the emitted X-rays; but on the other side the accretor’s gravity and ionizing radiation can strongly influence the wind flow. Based on a collaborative effort of astronomers both from the stellar wind and the X-ray community, this presentation attempts to review our current state of knowledge and indicate avenues for future progress.

scholarly journals Color–color diagrams as tools for assessment of the variable absorption in high mass X-ray binaries

2020 ◽  
Vol 643 ◽  
pp. A109
Author(s):  
V. Grinberg ◽  
M. A. Nowak ◽  
N. Hell
Keyword(s):  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Binary Systems ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Spectral Shape ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Current Generation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Partial Covering ◽  
X Ray Binaries

High mass X-ray binaries hold the promise of allowing us to understand the structure of the winds of their supermassive companion stars by using the emission from the compact object as a backlight to evaluate the variable absorption in the structured stellar wind. The wind along the line of sight can change on timescales as short as minutes and below. However, such short timescales are not available for the direct measurement of absorption through X-ray spectroscopy with the current generation of X-ray telescopes. In this paper, we demonstrate the usability of color–color diagrams for assessing the variable absorption in wind accreting high mass X-ray binary systems. We employ partial covering models to describe the spectral shape of high mass X-ray binaries and assess the implication of different absorbers and their variability on the shape of color–color tracks. We show that in taking into account, the ionization of the absorber, and in particular accounting for the variation of ionization with absorption depth, is crucial to describe the observed behavior well.

scholarly journals Wind inhibition by X-ray irradiation in high-mass X-ray binaries

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S329) ◽  
pp. 417-417
Author(s):  
Jiří Krtička ◽  
Jiří Kubát ◽  
Iva Krtičková
Keyword(s):  
Optical Depth ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Light Absorption ◽  
Massive Stars ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Radiative Force ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
X Ray Binaries

AbstractWinds of hot massive stars are driven radiatively by light absorption in the lines of heavier elements. Therefore, the radiative force depends on the wind ionization. That is the reason why the accretion powered X-ray emission of high-mass X-ray binaries influences the radiative force and may even lead to wind inhibition. We model the effect of X-ray irradiation on the stellar wind in high-mass X-ray binaries. The influence of X-rays is given by the X-ray luminosity, by the optical depth between a given point and the X-ray source, and by the distance to the X-ray source. The influence of X-rays is stronger for higher X-ray luminosities and in closer proximity of the X-ray source. There is a forbidden area in the diagrams of X-ray luminosity vs. the optical depth parameter. The observations agree with theoretical predictions, because all wind-powered high-mass X-ray binary primaries lie outside the forbidden area. The positions of real binaries in the diagram indicate that their X-ray luminosities are self-regulated.

scholarly journals Clumped stellar winds in supergiant high-mass X-ray binaries

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S290) ◽  
pp. 287-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Oskinova ◽  
A. Feldmeier ◽  
P. Kretschmar
Keyword(s):  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
Degree Of Ionization ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wind Theory ◽  
Supergiant Star ◽  
X Ray Binaries

AbstractThe clumping of massive star winds is an established paradigm, which is confirmed by multiple lines of evidence and is supported by stellar wind theory. We use the results from time-dependent hydrodynamical models of the instability in the line-driven wind of a massive supergiant star to derive the time-dependent accretion rate on to a compact object in the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton approximation. The strong density and velocity fluctuations in the wind result in strong variability of the synthetic X-ray light curves. Photoionization of inhomogeneous winds is different from the photoinization of smooth winds. The degree of ionization is affected by the wind clumping. The wind clumping must also be taken into account when comparing the observed and model spectra of the photoionized stellar wind.

scholarly journals Wind inhibition by X-ray irradiation in HMXBs: the influence of clumping and the final X-ray luminosity

2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A150 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Krtička ◽  
J. Kubát ◽  
I. Krtičková
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Mass Loss Rate ◽  
Terminal Velocity ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Binaries

Context. In wind-powered X-ray binaries, the radiatively driven stellar wind from the primary may be inhibited by the X-ray irradiation. This creates the feedback that limits the X-ray luminosity of the compact secondary. Wind inhibition might be weakened by the effect of small-scale wind inhomogeneities (clumping) possibly affecting the limiting X-ray luminosity. Aims. We study the influence of X-ray irradiation on the stellar wind for different radial distributions of clumping. Methods. We calculate hot star wind models with external irradiation and clumping using our global wind code. The models are calculated for different parameters of the binary. We determine the parameters for which the X-ray wind ionization is so strong that it leads to a decrease of the radiative force. This causes a decrease of the wind velocity and even of the mass-loss rate in the case of extreme X-ray irradiation. Results. Clumping weakens the effect of X-ray irradiation because it favours recombination and leads to an increase of the wind mass-loss rate. The best match between the models and observed properties of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is derived with radially variable clumping. We describe the influence of X-ray irradiation on the terminal velocity and on the mass-loss rate in a parametric way. The X-ray luminosities predicted within the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton theory agree nicely with observations when accounting for X-ray irradiation. Conclusions. The ionizing feedback regulates the accretion onto the compact companion resulting in a relatively stable X-ray source. The wind-powered accretion model can account for large luminosities in HMXBs only when introducing the ionizing feedback. There are two possible states following from the dependence of X-ray luminosity on the wind terminal velocity and mass-loss rate. One state has low X-ray luminosity and a nearly undisturbed wind, and the second state has high X-ray luminosity and exhibits a strong influence of X-rays on the flow.

scholarly journals The dark side of supergiant High-Mass X-ray Binaries

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S346) ◽  
pp. 161-169
Author(s):  
Sylvain Chaty ◽  
Francis Fortin ◽  
Federico García ◽  
Federico Fogantini
Keyword(s):  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Companion Star ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Active Stars ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
X Ray Binaries

Abstract. High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXB) have been revealed by a wealth of multi-wavelength observations, from X-ray to optical and infrared domain. After describing the 3 different kinds of HMXB, we focus on 3 HMXB hosting supergiant stars: IGR J16320-4751, IGR J16465-4507 and IGR J16318-4848, respectively called “The Good”, “The Bad” and “The Ugly”. We review in these proceedings what the observations of these sources have brought to light concerning our knowledge of HMXB, and what part still remains in the dark side. Many questions are still pending, related to accretion processes, stellar wind properties in these massive and active stars, and the overall evolution due to transfer of mass and angular momentum between the companion star and the compact object. Future observations should be able to answer these questions, which constitute the dark side of HMXB.

scholarly journals Chemical Abundances of Early Type Stars

1998 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 224-225
Author(s):  
S. Tanaka ◽  
S. Kitamoto ◽  
T. Suzuki ◽  
K. Torii ◽  
M.F. Corcoran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Early Type ◽  
Chemical Abundances ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Early Type Stars

X-rays from early-type stars are emitted by the corona or the stellar wind. The materials in the surface layer of early-type stars are not contaminated by nuclear reactions in the stellar inside. Therefore, abundance study of the early-type stars provides us an information of the abundances of the original gas. However, the X-ray observations indicate low-metallicity, which is about 0.3 times of cosmic abundances. This fact raises the problem on the cosmic abundances.

scholarly journals Mass transfer on a nuclear timescale in models of supergiant and ultra-luminous X-ray binaries

2019 ◽  
Vol 628 ◽  
pp. A19 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Quast ◽  
N. Langer ◽  
T. M. Tauris
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Roche Lobe ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Mass Ratios ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
Eddington Limit

Context. The origin and number of the Galactic supergiant X-ray binaries is currently not well understood. They consist of an evolved massive star and a neutron star or black-hole companion. X-rays are thought to be generated from the accretion of wind material donated by the supergiant, while mass transfer due to Roche-lobe overflow is mostly disregarded because the high mass ratios of these systems are thought to render this process unstable. Aims. We investigate how the proximity of supergiant donor stars to the Eddington limit, and their advanced evolutionary stage, may influence the evolution of massive and ultra-luminous X-ray binaries with supergiant donor stars (SGXBs and ULXs). Methods. We constructed models of massive stars with different internal hydrogen and helium gradients (H/He gradients) and different hydrogen-rich envelope masses, and exposed them to slow mass-loss to probe the response of the stellar radius. In addition, we computed the corresponding Roche-lobe overflow mass-transfer evolution with our detailed binary stellar evolution code, approximating the compact objects as point masses. Results. We find that a H/He gradient in the layers beneath the surface, as it is likely present in the well-studied donor stars of observed SGBXs, can enable mass transfer in SGXBs on a nuclear timescale with a black-hole or a neutron star accretor, even for mass ratios in excess of 20. In our binary evolution models, the donor stars rapidly decrease their thermal equilibrium radius and can therefore cope with the inevitably strong orbital contraction imposed by the high mass ratio. We find that the orbital period derivatives of our models agree well with empirical values. We argue that the SGXB phase may be preceded by a common-envelope evolution. The envelope inflation near the Eddington limit means that this mechanism more likely occurs at high metallicity. Conclusion. Our results open a new perspective for understanding that SGBXs are numerous in our Galaxy and are almost completely absent in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our results may also offer a way to find more ULX systems, to detect mass transfer on nuclear timescales in ULX systems even with neutron star accretors, and shed new light on the origin of the strong B-field in these neutron stars.

scholarly journals Effect of Compact Objects Near Be Stars

1987 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 516-518
Author(s):  
Krishna M.V. Apparao ◽  
S.P. Tarafdar
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Rotation Period ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Compact Objects ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Eccentric Orbit ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Be Star

Several Be stars are identified with bright X-ray sources. (Rappaport and Van den Heuvel, 1982). The bright X-ray emission and observed periodicities indicate the existence of compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes) near the Be stars. A prime example is the brightest X-ray source A0538-66 in LMC, which contains a neutron star with a rotation period of 59 ms. Apparao (1985) explained the X-ray emission, which occurs in periodic flares, by considering an inclined eccentric orbit for the neutron star around the assumed Be-star. The neutron star when it enters a gas ring (around the Be-star) accreting matter giving out X-rays.The X-ray emission from the compact objects, when the gas ring from the Be-star envelopes the objects, has interesting consequences. The X-ray emission produces an ionized region (compact object Stromgren sphere or COSS) in the gas surrounding the compact object (CO).

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