Compact X-Ray Sources

Abstract

In Chapter 4, The X-ray Sky, we discussed the general properties of a class of sources designated as ‘compact X-ray sources’, or ‘stellar X-ray sources’, or ‘X-ray stars’. The essential features of these sources are: (i) A 2–6 keV luminosity in the range 1036-1038 erg s-1;(ii) Membership in binary systems as evidenced by eclipses or association with binaries; (iii) A flat spectrum similar to that produced by radiation from a hot gas having a temperature in the range 50–500 million degrees. The spectra of the eclipsing sources show a variable low energy cutoff; (iv) Fast, and in some cases, periodic variations on a time scale of seconds or less.KeywordsBlack HoleNeutron StarRadio SourceAccretion DiskStellar WindThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.