Ultra-compact (X-ray) binaries
Abstract
A short year 2005 review of ultra-compact binaries, focused on ultra-compact X-ray binaries, is followed by a discussion of results of our VLT campaign to obtain optical spectra of (candidate) ultra-compact X-ray binaries. We find evidence for carbon/oxygen as well as helium/nitrogen discs and no evidence for (traces) of hydrogen. This suggests that the donors in the observed systems are white dwarfs. However, we also find large differences between the two C/O discs of which we have good spectra, which highlights the need for a better understanding of the optical spectra.
- Publication:
-
New Astronomy Reviews
- Pub Date:
- March 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.newar.2010.09.021
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0605722
- Bibcode:
- 2010NewAR..54...87N
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- To appear in proceedings of "A life with stars" a conference in honour of Ed van den Heuvel's 60th birthday, New Ast. Rev