scholarly journals Clues to Globular Cluster Evolution from Multiwavelength Observations of Extragalactic Systems

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S246) ◽  
pp. 408-412
Author(s):  
Arunav Kundu ◽  
Thomas J. Maccarone ◽  
Stephen E. Zepf

AbstractWe present a study of the globular cluster (GC) systems of nearby elliptical and S0 galaxies at a variety of wavelengths from the X-ray to the infrared. Our analysis shows that roughly half of the low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), that are the luminous tracers of accreting neutron star or black hole systems, are in clusters. There is a surprisingly strong correlation between the LMXB frequency and the metallicity of the GCs, with metal-rich GCs hosting three times as many LMXBs as metal-poor ones, and no convincing evidence of a correlation with GC age so far. In some of the galaxies the LMXB formation rate varies with GC color even within the red peak of the typical bimodal cluster color distribution, providing some of the strongest evidence to date that there are metallicity variations within the metal-rich GC peak as is expected in a hierarchical galaxy formation scenario. We also note that any analysis of subtler variations in GC color distributions must carefully account for both statistical and systematic errors. We caution that some published GC correlations, such as the apparent ‘blue-tilt’ or mass-metallicity effect might not have a physical origin and may be caused by systematic observational biases.

2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 174
Author(s):  
Kenny X. Van ◽  
Natalia Ivanova

Abstract We present a new method for constraining the mass transfer evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs)—a reverse population synthesis technique. This is done using the detailed 1D stellar evolution code MESA (Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics) to evolve a high-resolution grid of binary systems spanning a comprehensive range of initial donor masses and orbital periods. We use the recently developed convection and rotation-boosted (CARB) magnetic braking scheme. The CARB magnetic braking scheme is the only magnetic braking prescription capable of reproducing an entire sample of well-studied persistent LMXBs—those with mass ratios, periods, and mass transfer rates that have been observationally determined. Using the reverse population synthesis technique, where we follow any simulated system that successfully reproduces an observed LMXB backward, we have constrained possible progenitors for each observed well-studied persistent LMXB. We also determined that the minimum number of LMXB formations in the Milky Way is 1500 per Gyr if we exclude Cyg X-2. For Cyg X-2, the most likely formation rate is 9000 LMXB Gyr−1. The technique we describe can be applied to any observed LMXB with well-constrained mass ratio, period, and mass transfer rate. With the upcoming GAIA DR3 containing information on binary systems, this technique can be applied to the data release to search for progenitors of observed persistent LMXBs.


1987 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Verbunt ◽  
Piet Hut

We discuss formation mechanisms for low-mass X-ray binaries in globular clusters. We apply the most efficient mechanism, tidal capture in close two-body encounters between neutron and main-sequence stars, to the clusters of our galaxy. The observed number of X-ray sources in these can be explained if the birth velocities of neutron stars are higher than estimated from velocity measurements of radiopulsars, or if the initial mass function steepens at high masses. We perform a statistical test on the distribution of X-ray sources with respect to the number of close encounters in globular clusters, and find satisfactory agreement between the tidal capture theory and observation, apart from the presence of low-mass X-ray binaries in four clusters with a very low encounter rate: Ter 1, Ter 2, Gr 1 and NGC 6712.EXOSAT observations indicate that some dim globular cluster sources may be less luminous than hitherto assumed, and support the view that the brighter dim sources may be soft X-ray transients in quiescence.


1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 775-778
Author(s):  
Simon Portegies Zwart ◽  
Frank Verbunt ◽  
Ene Ergma

We study the formation of low-mass X-ray binaries with a black hole as accreting object. The performed semi-analytic analysis reveals that the formation rate of black holes in low-mass X-ray binaries is about two orders of magnitude smaller than that of systems with a neutron star as accretor. This is contradicted by the six observed systems, which are all transients, which suggest that the majority of these systems has not been seen jet. The birthrate for both type of objects are expected to be similar (for reviews see Cowley 1992, Tanaka & Lewin 1995).


2009 ◽  
Vol 392 (2) ◽  
pp. 665-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastien Guillot ◽  
Robert E. Rutledge ◽  
Lars Bildsten ◽  
Edward F. Brown ◽  
George G. Pavlov ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maren Hempel ◽  
Arunav Kundu ◽  
Steve E. Zepf ◽  
Tom Macccarone ◽  
Reba M. Bandyopadhyay ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (4) ◽  
pp. 5967-5984 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Kouroumpatzakis ◽  
A Zezas ◽  
P Sell ◽  
K Kovlakas ◽  
P Bonfini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT X-ray luminosity (LX) originating from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is tightly correlated with the host galaxy’s star formation rate (SFR). We explore this connection at sub-galactic scales spanning ∼7 dex in SFR and ∼8 dex in specific SFR (sSFR). There is good agreement with established relations down to SFR ≃ 10−3 M$_{\odot }\, \rm {yr^{-1}}$, below which an excess of X-ray luminosity emerges. This excess likely arises from low-mass X-ray binaries. The intrinsic scatter of the LX–SFR relation is constant, not correlated with SFR. Different star formation indicators scale with LX in different ways, and we attribute the differences to the effect of star formation history. The SFR derived from H α shows the tightest correlation with X-ray luminosity because H α emission probes stellar populations with ages similar to HMXB formation time-scales, but the H α-based SFR is reliable only for $\rm sSFR{\gt }10^{-12}$ M$_{\odot }\, \rm {yr^{-1}}$/M⊙.


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