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Optical properties of High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) in the Small Magellanic Cloud

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2008

M. J. Coe ,
R. H. D. Corbet ,
K. E. McGowan ,
V. A. McBride ,
M. P. E. Schurch ,
L. J. Townsend ,
J. L. Galache ,
I. Negueruela  and
D. Buckley
M. J. Coe
Affiliation:
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
R. H. D. Corbet
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Mail Code 662, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
K. E. McGowan
Affiliation:
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
V. A. McBride
Affiliation:
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
M. P. E. Schurch
Affiliation:
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
L. J. Townsend
Affiliation:
School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
J. L. Galache
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
I. Negueruela
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física, Ingeniería de Sistemas y Teoría de la Señal, Universidad de Alicante, Apdo. 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain
D. Buckley
Affiliation:
South African Astronomical Observatory, Observatory, 7935, Cape Town, South Africa
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Abstract

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The SMC represents an exciting opportunity to observe the direct results of tidal interactions on star birth. One of the best indicators of recent star birth activity is the presence of significant numbers of High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) — and the SMC has them in abundance! We present results from nearly 10 years of monitoring these systems plus a wealth of other ground-based optical data. Together they permit us to build a picture of a galaxy with a mass of only a few percent of the Milky Way but with a more extensive HMXB population. However, as often happens, new discoveries lead to some challenging puzzles — where are the other X-ray binaries (e.g., black hole systems) in the SMC? And why do virtually all the SMC HMXBs have Be star companions? The evidence arising from these extensive optical observations for this apparently unusual stellar evolution are discussed.

Keywords

stars: emission-lineBestars: evolutionpulsars: generalgalaxies: individual (SMC)Magellanic CloudsX-rays: binaries
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S256: The Magellanic System: Stars, Gas, and Galaxies , July 2008 , pp. 367 - 372
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009

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