2005ApJ...622L.113M -
Astrophys. J., 622, L113-L116 (2005/April-1)
An overabundance of transient X-ray binaries within 1 parsec of the Galactic Center.
MUNO M.P., PFAHL E., BAGANOFF F.K., BRANDT W.N., GHEZ A., LU J. and MORRIS M.R.
Abstract (from CDS):
During 5 years of Chandra observations, we have identified seven X-ray transients located within 23 pc of Sgr A*. These sources each vary in luminosity by more than a factor of 10 and have peak X-ray luminosities greater than 5x1033 ergs/s, which strongly suggests that they are accreting black holes or neutron stars. The peak luminosities of the transients are intermediate between those typically considered outburst and quiescence for X-ray binaries. Remarkably, four of these transients lie within only 1 pc of Sgr A*. This implies that, compared to the numbers of similar systems located between 1 and 23 pc, transients are overabundant by a factor of ≳20 per unit stellar mass within 1 pc of Sgr A*. It is likely that the excess transient X-ray sources are low-mass X-ray binaries that were produced, as in the cores of globular clusters, by three-body interactions between binary star systems and either black holes or neutron stars that have been concentrated in the central parsec through dynamical friction. Alternatively, they could be high-mass X-ray binaries that formed among the young stars that are present in the central parsec.
Abstract Copyright:
∼
Journal keyword(s):
Galaxy: Center - Stellar Dynamics - X-Rays: Binaries
Simbad objects:
10
Full paper
View the references in ADS
To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:2005ApJ...622L.113M and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu