1RXS J112115.4-603725
2MASS J01274595-7332563
4U 0614+091
4U 0614+091
Circinus X-1
CXO J132552.7- 430546
CXOM31 J004253.1+411422
NGC 1313 X-1
RX J0648.0-4418
Sco X-1
XMMU J004243.6+412519
XSS J12270-4859
X-Ray Binaries & TransientsX-ray binaries (XRBs) are systems in which high energy radiation is emitted as a consequence of the accretion of material from a donor star (in most cases, a hydrogen-burning "normal" star) onto the surface of a compact object (a neutron star or black hole). Binary systems in which the accreting compact object is a white dwarf are generally considered as a separate subclass, known as Cataclysmic Variables.XRBs are generally divided into two main subclasses, high mass (HMXBs) and low mass (LMXBs), depending on the nature of the donor star (either an OB star or G-M spectral type). Additionally, depending on the temporal behaviour, they can be divided in persistent and transient sources. LMXBs containing an accreting neutron star can be either persistent or transient, but systems with black holes are generally transient. XRBs emit most of the X-ray flux detected from normal galaxies, including the Milky Way. They have been discovered in large numbers by previous satellites and now a sufficiently large sample exists for population studies to be statistically significant. XMM-Newton offers several potentialities for their study. On the one hand, it opens up the opportunity of obtaining spectra of Galactic sources with moderate resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. On the other hand, because of its large collecting area and moderately high spatial resolution, it provides an excellent opportunity for studying the populations of nearby galaxies. Last but not least, XMM-Newton offers the possibility of obtaining X-ray spectra of faint Galactic sources, opening the door to studies of low-luminosity accreting binaries. [Ref 4] |