Perspectives of the LOBSTER-EYE monitor in the soft X-ray observing the Galactic center region

Abstract

We show the lobster-eye (LE) monitor's perspectives and observing plan based on a small LE telescope on a small (CubeSat-like) satellite platform. This instrument is important because it is able to provide wide-field X-ray imaging. We present the possibilities of monitoring the Galactic center region in the soft X-ray energy band. The reason is that many X-ray binaries, especially those with a low-mass lobe-filling secondary and mostly the neutron star accretor, concentrate in the bulge surrounding the center of our Galaxy. Several such binaries are expected to be present in our monitor's field of view (a square of about 5×5degrees). We show the long-term activity of the examples of X-ray binaries located in this region. We present the typical features of such objects' long-term X-ray activity (e.g., outbursts and state transitions) and discuss how the lobster-eye monitor can contribute. Observing in the soft X-ray band is the most promising because their X-ray intensity is the highest in this band.