Long term behaviour of high mass x-ray binaries
Long term behaviour of high mass x-ray binaries
The results presented in this thesis concern X-ray and optical variability in X-ray binaries (XRB) on timescales ranging from seconds to years. Such a range of timescales probes many physical processes and provides insights on the accretion process, interaction with the binary companion and evolutionary scenarios for High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXB).
Two separate populations of X-ray binaries were studied, those in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and in the Galaxy,
Results of a 4 year X-ray monitoring campaign of the SMC using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) are presented. 8 new X-ray pulsars were discovered and a total of 20 different systems were observed with spectral and timing parameters obtained for 1. In the case of 9 pulsars, multiple outbursts were observed, allowing determination of the orbital periods in these systems.
A sample of bright X-ray binaries in the Galaxy and SMC were studied at high energy using 7 years of data from the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on CGRO. The behaviour of these XRB was studied on timescales of days - years and revealed orbital and superorbital modulations as well as long term changes in brightness and temporal behaviour.
University of Southampton
Laycock, Silas
304c0da9-7dbd-41d9-8370-d504771d14b7
2003
Laycock, Silas
304c0da9-7dbd-41d9-8370-d504771d14b7
Laycock, Silas
(2003)
Long term behaviour of high mass x-ray binaries.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The results presented in this thesis concern X-ray and optical variability in X-ray binaries (XRB) on timescales ranging from seconds to years. Such a range of timescales probes many physical processes and provides insights on the accretion process, interaction with the binary companion and evolutionary scenarios for High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXB).
Two separate populations of X-ray binaries were studied, those in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and in the Galaxy,
Results of a 4 year X-ray monitoring campaign of the SMC using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) are presented. 8 new X-ray pulsars were discovered and a total of 20 different systems were observed with spectral and timing parameters obtained for 1. In the case of 9 pulsars, multiple outbursts were observed, allowing determination of the orbital periods in these systems.
A sample of bright X-ray binaries in the Galaxy and SMC were studied at high energy using 7 years of data from the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on CGRO. The behaviour of these XRB was studied on timescales of days - years and revealed orbital and superorbital modulations as well as long term changes in brightness and temporal behaviour.
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Published date: 2003
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Local EPrints ID: 464881
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/464881
PURE UUID: bc358f20-2842-48dd-84f0-54440db61d3a
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 00:07
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 19:48
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Author:
Silas Laycock
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