Distribution of High-Mass X-ray Binaries in the Milky Way

Abstract

Observations of the high energy sky, particularly with the INTEGRAL satellite, have quadrupled the number of supergiant X-ray Binaries observed in the Galaxy, and revealed new populations of previously hidden High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), raising new questions about their formation and evolution. The number of detected HMXBs of different types is now high enough to allow us to carry out a statistical analysis of their distribution in the Milky Way. For the first time, we derive the distance and absorption of a sample of HMXBs using a Spectral Energy Distribution fitting procedure, and we examine the correlation with the distribution of Star Forming Complexes (SFCs) in the Galaxy. We show that HMXBs are clustered with SFCs with a typical cluster size of 0.3 +/- 0.05 kpc and a characteristic distance between clusters of 1.7 +/- 0.3 kpc. Furthermore, we present an investigation of the expected offset between the position of spiral arms and HMXBs, allowing us to constrain age and migration distance due to supernova kick for 13 sources. These new methods will allow us to assess the influence of the environment on these high energy objects with unprecedented reliability.

To appear in ApJ, 2013 February 20, vol. 764-2:185; 13 figures, 4 tables

References in corpus (12)

• Catalogue of high-mass X-ray binaries in the Galaxy ($4^{th}$ edition)
• UBVJHK synthetic photometry of Galactic O stars
• Quantitative studies of the optical and UV spectra of Galactic early B supergiants I. Fundamental parameters
• Multi-wavelength observations of Galactic hard X-ray sources discovered by INTEGRAL. II. The environment of the companion star
• VLT/UVES spectroscopy of Wray 977, the hypergiant companion to the X-ray pulsar GX301-2
• A description of sources detected by INTEGRAL during the first 4 years of observations
• Unveiling the nature of six HMXBs through IR spectroscopy
• Chandra Localizations and Spectra of INTEGRAL Sources in the Galactic Plane
• Hard X-ray flares in IGR J08408-4503 unveil clumpy stellar winds
• The first broad-band X-ray study of the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transient SAXJ1818.6-1703 in outburst
• INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations of AX J1845.0-0433
• Multiwavelength study of the transient X-ray binary IGR J01583+6713

Cited by in corpus (17)

• Formation of Double Neutron Star Systems
• Gamma-ray burst progenitors
• Ultra-luminous X-ray sources and neutron-star-black-hole mergers from very massive close binaries at low metallicity
• X-ray irradiation of the winds in binaries with massive components
• Seven Years with the Swift Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients Project
• Roche-lobe overflow systems powered by black holes in young star clusters: the importance of dynamical exchanges
• Orbital phase resolved spectroscopy of GX 301-2 with MAXI
• Optical/infrared observations unveiling the formation, nature and evolution of High-Mass X-ray Binaries
• Modelling interstellar structures around Vela X-1
• The Local Environment of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources Viewed by XMM Newton's Optical Monitor
• Expected number of supergiant fast X-ray transients in the Milky Way
• Herschel observations of dust around the high-mass X-ray binary GX 301-2
• The SMC X-ray binary SXP4.78 : a new Type II outburst and the identification and study of the optical counterpart
• Near-infrared spectroscopy of 20 new Chandra sources in the Norma Arm
• Sample of optically unidentified X-ray binaries in the Galactic bulge. Constraints on the physical nature from infrared photometric surveys
• Soft excess in the quiescent Be/X-ray pulsar RX J0812.4-3114
• Faint X-ray Binaries and Their Optical Counterparts in M31