| Proposal ID | 040247 |
| Title | Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients: A new class of massive X-ray binaries |
| Download Data Associated to the proposal | https://nxsa.esac.esa.int/nxsa-sl/servlet/data-action-aio?obsno=0402470101 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-0dx0gcr |
| Principal Investigator, PI | Prof David M. Smith |
| Abstract | At least four x-ray binaries (XTE J1739-302, IGR J17544-2619, IGR J16465-4507,and AX J1841.0-0536) have been established as Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients,with outbursts lasting only hours, spectra requiring a BH or NS accretor, faintquiescent emission, and O/B supergiant companions. Since they are difficult todetect and the list is rapidly growing, SFXTs may be the dominant population ofx-ray binaries born with two very massive components. They may therefore be theprimary progenitors of NS/NS or NS/BH mergers, and key to our understanding ofshort/hard gamma-ray bursts and the search for sources of gravitational waves.We propose to study the quiescent emission of four candidate sources and use theNewton localizations to test whether a (rare) OB supergiant is in the field. |
| Publications |
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| Instrument | EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2 |
| Temporal Coverage | 2006-10-07T23:45:59Z/2006-10-14T11:32:09Z |
| Version | 17.56_20190403_1200 |
| Mission Description | The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis. |
| Creator Contact | https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/xmm-newton-helpdesk |
| Date Published | 2007-11-16T00:00:00Z |
| Last Update | 2025-01-27 |
| Keywords | "newton localizations", "supergiant companions", "rare ob supergiant", "xray binary born", "igr j17544 2619", "primary progenitors", "gravitational waves", "ns accretor", "spectra requiring", "faint quiescent emission", "dominant population", "outburst lasting", "ax j1841", "bh mergers", "J1841.0", "quiescent emission", "candidate sources", "igr j16465 4507", "massive xray binary", "massive components" |
| Publisher And Registrant | European Space Agency |
| Credit Guidelines | European Space Agency, Prof David M. Smith, 2007, 'Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients: A new class of massive X-ray binaries', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-0dx0gcr |