UltraCompCAT: a comprehensive Catalogue of Ultra-Compact and Short Orbital Period X-ray Binaries

Abstract

Ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are a distinctive but elusive family of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) characterised by their tight orbits and degenerate donor stars. Here we present UltraCompCAT, the first online and comprehensive catalogue of UCXBs. The initial version of UltraCompCAT comprises 49 sources, including 20 'confirmed' UCXBs (those with a measured orbital period shorter than 80 min) and 25 systems that we label as 'candidate' based on their multi-wavelength phenomenology. For completeness, we also include four LMXBs with orbital periods in the range of 80 to 120 min, since they might be related (e.g. close progenitors) or even part of the UCXB population that evolved towards longer periods. We discuss the orbital period and Galactic distribution of the catalogue's sample. We provide evidence for the presence of at least two separate groups of UCXBs. One formed by persistent systems with orbital periods shorter than 30 min and a second group of transient objects (70 per cent) with periods in the range of 40 to 60 min. We show that the former group is dominated by sources formed in globular clusters, while the latter accounts for the (known) UCXB population in the Galactic field. We discuss the possible evolutionary channels for both groups.

arXiv commentAccepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics (see online catalogue here https://research.iac.es/proyecto/compactos/UltraCompCAT/ )

References in corpus (182)

• The disc instability model of dwarf-novae and low-mass X-ray binary transients
• Evolutionary Binary Sequences for Low- and Intermediate-Mass X-ray Binaries
• BlackCAT: A catalogue of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray transients
• Photospheric radius expansion X-ray bursts as standard candles
• The XMM-Newton serendipitous survey IX. The fourth XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue
• Accurate distances to Galactic globular clusters through a combination of Gaia EDR3, HST and literature data
• A catalogue of low-mass X-ray binaries in the Galaxy, LMC, and SMC (Fourth edition)
• WATCHDOG: A Comprehensive All-Sky Database of Galactic Black Hole X-ray Binaries
• The distances to Galactic low-mass X-ray binaries: consequences for black hole luminosities and kicks
• The two-hour orbit of a binary millisecond X-ray pulsar
• Formation and evolution of compact binaries in globular clusters: II. Binaries with neutron stars
• Faint X-ray sources resolved in the ASCA Galactic plane survey and their contribution to the Galactic ridge X-ray emission
• A Remarkable Three Hour Thermonuclear Burst From 4U 1820-30
• A Deep Chandra Survey of the Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae: Catalog of Point Sources
• INTEGRAL observations of the cosmic X-ray background in the 5-100 keV range via occultation by the Earth
• Discovery of a Second Millisecond Accreting Pulsar: XTE J1751-305
• Six new candidate ultracompact X-ray binaries
• Discovery of a High-Latitude Accreting Millisecond Pulsar in an Ultracompact Binary
• ASCA X-ray source catalogue in the Galactic Center region
• The Multi-INstrument Burst ARchive (MINBAR)
• Deep radio imaging of 47 Tuc identifies the peculiar X-ray source X9 as a new black hole candidate
• The chemical composition of donors in AM CVn stars and ultra-compact X-ray binaries: observational tests of their formation
• Models of Type I X-Ray Bursts in 4U 1820-30
• Formation of Short-Period Binary Pulsars in Globular Clusters
• Optical spectra of the carbon-oxygen accretion discs in the ultra-compact X-ray binaries 4U 0614+09, 4U 1543-624 and 2S 0918-549
• Ultracompact X-Ray Binaries with Neon-Rich Degenerate Donors
• High-Speed Optical Photometry of the Ultracompact X-ray Binary 4U 1626-67
• Physics of accretion in the millisecond pulsar XTE J1751-305
• Evolution of Low-Mass Helium Stars in Semidetached Binaries
• Optical spectroscopy of (candidate) ultra-compact X-ray binaries: constraints on the composition of the donor stars
• Optical and X-ray observations of the neutron star soft X-ray transient XTE J1709-267
• Double-Peaked X-Ray Lines from the Oxygen/Neon-Rich Accretion Disk in 4U1626-67
• Classification of X-ray Sources in the XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalog
• The complete spectrum of the neutron star X-ray binary 4U0614+091
• The ultracompact nature of the black hole candidate X-ray binary 47 Tuc X9
• Near Infrared properties of 12 Globular Clusters toward the inner Bulge of the Galaxy
• Ultra-compact (X-ray) binaries
• The evolution of ultracompact X-ray binaries
• Discovery of a Second Transient Low-Mass X-ray Binary in the Globular Cluster NGC 6440
• Disentangling Coalescing Neutron Star-White Dwarf Binaries for LISA
• XMM-Newton observation of 4U 1820-30: Broad band spectrum and the contribution of the cold interstellar medium
• What ignites on the neutron star of 4U 0614+091?
• X-ray Binaries
• Ultracompact Binaries as Bright X-Ray Sources in Elliptical Galaxies
• Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsars
• Discovery of the Millisecond X-Ray Pulsar HETE J1900.1-2455
• Theoretical Considerations on the Properties of Accreting Millisecond Pulsars
• On the formation of neon-enriched donor stars in ultracompact X-ray binaries
• Ultracompact X-ray Binaries in Globular Clusters: Variability of the Optical Counterpart of X1832-330 in NGC 6652
• An ultracompact X-ray binary in the globular cluster M15 (NGC7078)
• Formation of Ultracompact X-ray Binaries in Dense Star Clusters
• Galactic Ultracompact X-ray Binaries: Disk Stability and Evolution
• Intermediate long X-ray bursts from the ultra-compact binary source SLX 1737-282
• Distances to Galactic X-ray Binaries with Gaia DR2
• The accretion flow to the intermittent accreting ms pulsar, HETE J1900.1-2455, as observed by XMM-Newton and RXTE
• A new radio census of neutron star X-ray binaries
• Formation of millisecond pulsars with helium white dwarfs, ultra-compact X-ray binaries and gravitational wave sources
• An in-depth study of a neutron star accreting at low Eddington rate: On the possibility of a truncated disk and an outflow
• Stellar Exotica in 47 Tucanae
• Discovery of a 205.89 Hz accreting-millisecond X-ray pulsar in the globular cluster NGC 6440
• Galactic Populations of Ultracompact Binaries
• Population synthesis of ultracompact X-ray binaries in the Galactic Bulge
• BeppoSAX study of the broad-band properties of luminous globular cluster X-ray sources
• The Orbital Period of the Ultracompact Low-Mass X-Ray Binary 4U 1543--624
• X-Ray Spectroscopy of the Low-Mass X-ray Binaries 2S 0918-549 and 4U1543-624: Evidence for Neon-Rich Degenerate Donors
• Discovery of 105 Hz coherent pulsations in the ultracompact binary IGR J16597-3704
• The Broad Band Spectrum of MXB 1728-34 Observed by BeppoSAX
• XMMU J174716.1-281048: a "quasi-persistent" very faint X-ray transient?
• The X-ray spectral properties of very-faint persistent neutron star X-ray binaries
• Identification of the LMXB and Faint X-ray Sources in NGC 6652
• XMM-Newton observation of the 5.25 ms transient millisecond pulsar XTE J1807-294 in outburst
• On the nature of two low M-dot X-ray bursters: 1RXS J170854.4-321857 and 1RXS J171824.2-402934
• X-ray Reflection and An Exceptionally Long Thermonuclear Helium Burst from IGR J17062-6143
• Time-resolved optical photometry of the ultra-compact binary 4U0614+091
• A direct measurement of the heat release in the outer crust of the transiently accreting neutron star XTE J1709-267
• Discovery of a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar in the globular cluster NGC 2808
• An ultracompact X-ray binary in the globular cluster NGC 1851
• Radius-expansion burst spectra from 4U 1728-34: an ultracompact binary?
• Detection of highly ionized O and Ne absorption lines in the X-ray spectrum of 4U1820-303 in the globular cluster, NGC 6624
• Novel modelling of ultra-compact X-ray binary evolution - stable mass transfer from white dwarfs to neutron stars
• NICER Discovers the Ultracompact Orbit of the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J17062-6143
• INTEGRAL detection of a long powerful burst from SLX1735-269
• VLT spectroscopy and non-LTE modeling of the C/O-dominated accretion disks in two ultracompact X-ray binaries
• Chandra observations of the neutron star soft X-ray transient RXJ170930.2-263927 returning to quiescence
• NuSTAR and XMM-Newton Observations of the Neutron Star X-ray Binary 1RXS J180408.9-34205
• High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the ultracompact LMXB pulsar 4U 1626-67
• Chandra follow-up of bursters with low persistent emission
• BeppoSAX-WFC monitoring of the Galactic Center region
• X-ray Spectroscopy of Candidate Ultracompact X-ray Binaries
• Two new candidate ultra-compact X-ray binaries
• Discovery of the neutron star nature of SLX 1737-282
• An X-ray and optical study of the ultracompact X-ray binary A1246-58
• Chandra Observations of the Faintest Low-Mass X-ray Binaries
• Disk reflection and a possible disk wind during a soft X-ray state in the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 1RXS J180408.9-342058
• The Swift Bulge Survey: Motivation, Strategy, and First X-ray Results
• Formation of the planet around the millisecond pulsar J1719-1438
• The Likely Orbital Period of the Ultracompact Low-Mass X-Ray Binary 2S 0918-549
• Registration of the First Thermonuclear X-ray Burst from AX J1754.2-2754
• A relativistically broadened O VIII Lyalpha line in the ultra-compact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091
• Long-term luminosity behavior of 14 ultracompact X-ray binaries
• XMM-Newton observations of two transient millisecond X-ray pulsars in quiescence
• 1RXS J180408.9-342058: an ultra compact X-ray binary candidate with a transient jet
• XMM-Newton and Swift spectroscopy of the newly discovered very-faint X-ray transient IGR J17494-3030
• A Second Intense Burst with Photospheric Radius Expansion from X2127+119 in M15
• X-ray Spectroscopy of the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar XTE J0929-314 in Outburst
• The optical counterparts of Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsars during quiescence
• Hard X-ray Bursts Detected by the IBIS Telescope Onboard the INTEGRAL Observatory in 2003-2004
• XMM-Newton detection of the 2.1 ms coherent pulsations from IGR J17379-3747
• The optical counterpart of XTE J0929-314, the third transient millisecond X-ray pulsar
• NICER Discovery of Millisecond X-ray Pulsations and an Ultracompact Orbit in IGR J17494-3030
• IGR J17254-3257, a new bursting neutron star
• SWIFT J1756.9-2508: spectral and timing properties of its 2018 outburst
• An Examination of the X-ray Sources in the Globular Cluster NGC 6652
• HST spectrum and timing of the ultra-compact X-ray binary candidate 47 Tuc X9
• Searching for the most powerful thermonuclear X-ray bursts with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
• Simultaneous BeppoSAX and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of 4U1812-12
• The chemical composition of the accretion disk and donor star in Ultra Compact X-ray Binaries: A comprehensive X-ray analysis
• The UV Spectrum of the Ultra-compact X-ray Binary- 4U 1627-673
• Investigating the nature of absorption lines in the Chandra X-ray spectra of the neutron star binary 4U 1820-30
• Swift detection of an intermediately long X-ray burst from the very faint X-ray binary XMMU J174716.1-281048
• Polarimetric and spectroscopic optical observations of the ultra-compact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091
• Chandra Observation of the Persistent Emission from the Dipping Source XB 1916-053
• XMM-Newton observations of UW CrB -- detection of X-ray bursts and evidence for accretion disc evolution
• Multiwavelength characterisation of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar and ultra-compact binary IGR J17062-6143
• MAXI J1957+032: a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar in an ultra-compact binary
• Optical Identification of the X-ray Burster in the Globular Cluster NGC1851
• Study of the X-ray properties of the neutron-star binary 4U 1728$-$34 from the soft to hard state
• Relativistic Disk Reflection in the Neutron Star X-ray Binary XTE J1709-267 with NuSTAR
• Rapid X-ray variability properties during the unusual very hard state in neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries
• Optical Photometry and Spectroscopy of the Accretion-Powered Millisecond Pulsar HETE J1900.1-2455
• Discovery of a thermonuclear Type I X-ray burst in infrared: new limits on the orbital period of 4U 1728-34
• The quasi-persistent neutron star soft X-ray transient 1M 1716-315 in quiescence
• A radio frequency study of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar, IGR J16597$-$3704, in the globular cluster NGC 6256
• Dynamical Ne K Edge and Line Variations in the X-Ray Spectrum of the Ultra-compact Binary 4U 0614+091
• A search for the optical and near-infrared counterpart of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar XTE J1751-305
• Discovery of A 693.5 s Period in the X-ray Binary 4U 1820-30: A Superhump Interpretation
• XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL observations of the very faint X-ray transient IGRJ17285-2922/XTEJ1728-295 during the 2010 outburst
• A Search for the Optical Counterpart of the Luminous X-ray Source in NGC 6652
• The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B
• Discovery of SAX J1753.5-2349 and SAX J1806.5-2215: two X-ray bursters without detectable steady emission
• Discovery of a large and bright bow shock nebula associated with low mass X-ray binary SAX J1712.6-3739
• INTEGRAL high energy behaviour of 4U 1812-12
• An Fe XXVI Absorption Line in the Persistent Spectrum of the Dipping Low Mass X-ray Binary 1A 1744-361
• Chasing the Identification of ASCA Galactic Objects (ChIcAGO) - An X-ray Survey of Unidentified Sources in the Galactic Plane I: Source Sample and Initial Results
• Spectral analysis of the dipping LMXB system XB 1916-053
• Phase resolved spectroscopy of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 during the 2008 outburst
• UV-Bright Stellar Populations and Their Evolutionary Implications in the Collapsed-Core Cluster M15
• Swift follow-up observations of unclassified ASCA sources
• X-ray bursts from 1RXS J170930.2-263927 = XTE J1709-267
• A Lack of Radio Emission from Neutron Star Low Mass X-ray Binaries
• The 17 min orbital period in the Ultra Compact X-ray Binary 4U 0513-40
• XMM-Newton observations of IGR J00291+5934: signs of a thermal spectral component during quiescence
• Sample of LMXBs in the Galactic bulge. I. Optical and near-infrared constraints from the Virtual Observatory
• Black Hole Ultra-compact X-ray Binaries: Galactic Low-Frequency Gravitational Wave Sources
• ASCA Observation of MS 1603.6+2600 (=UW Coronae Borealis): a Dipping Low-Mass X-ray Binary in the Outer Halo?
• Evidence of a non-conservative mass transfer in the ultra-compact X-ray source XB 1916-053
• MS 1603.6+2600: an Accretion Disc Corona source?
• Swift and SALT observations of the Multiple Outbursts of MAXI J1957+032
• Discovery and identification of infrared counterpart candidates of four Galactic centre low mass X-ray binaries
• An Ultraviolet-Excess Optical Candidate for the Luminous Globular Cluster X-ray Source in NGC1851
• Detection and analysis of a new INTEGRAL hard X-ray transient, IGR J17285-2922
• XMMU J181227.8-181234: a new ultracompact X-ray binary candidate
• The ultra-compact binary 4U1850-087 observed with INTEGRAL: hard X-ray emission from an X-ray burster
• Does Nature allow formation of ultra-compact black hole X-ray binaries via accretion-induced collapse of neutron stars?
• XMM-Newton Discovery of the X-ray Transient XMMU J181227.8-181234 in the Galactic Plane
• The very faint hard state of the persistent neutron star X-ray binary SLX 1737-282 near the Galactic centre
• State Transitions in Ultracompact Neutron Star LMXBs: towards the Low Luminosity Limit
• Near-infrared counterparts of three transient very faint neutron star X-ray binaries
• SAXJ1712.6-3739: a persistent hard X-ray source as monitored with INTEGRAL
• Time-resolved X-Shooter spectra and RXTE light curves of the ultra-compact X-ray binary candidate 4U 0614+091
• The Unusual X-ray Binaries of the Globular Cluster NGC 6652
• MAXI J1957+032: an accreting neutron star possibly in a triple system
• A search for near-infrared counterparts of two faint neutron star X-ray transients : XMMU J174716.1-281048 and SAX J1806.5-2215
• On the ultra-compact nature of the neutron star system 1RXS J170854.4-321857: insights from X-ray spectroscopy
• Millihertz Quasi-periodic Optical Oscillations in 4U 0614+091
• Multi-band observations of Swift J0840.7-3516: a new transient ultra-compact X-ray binary candidate
• The energetic thermonuclear bursts in SAX J1712.6-3739
• Probing spectral and temporal evolution of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1724-30 with AstroSat
• A catalog of intermediate duration Type I X-ray bursts observed with the INTEGRAL satellite
• Optical spectroscopy of 4U 1812-12: an ultra-compact X-ray binary seen through an H II region
• A tentative 114-minute orbital period challenges the ultra-compact nature of the X-ray binary 4U 1812-12
• The Peculiar X-ray Transient Swift J0840.7-3516: an Unusual Low Mass X-ray Binary or a Tidal Disruption Event?

Cited by in corpus (16)

• Science objectives of the Einstein Probe mission
• A Catalogue of Ultracompact Mass-Transferring White Dwarf Binaries
• Compact Objects in close orbits as Gravitational Wave Sources: Formation Scenarios and Properties
• Accretion disc winds in X-ray binaries
• Four new eclipsing accreting ultracompact white dwarf binaries found with the Zwicky Transient Facility
• Monitoring the X-ray Variability of Bright X-ray Sources in M33
• Ubiquitous yet forgotten: broad absorptions in the optical spectra of low-mass X-ray binaries
• NICER observations of type-I X-ray bursts from the ultra-compact X-ray binary M15 X-2
• Studying the radiation of a white dwarf star falling onto a black hole
• The NuSTAR view of Ultra-Compact X-ray Binaries
• Ultra-compact X-ray Binaries: A Review
• The first extragalactic ultra-compact X-ray binary : a candidate black hole-white dwarf system
• X-ray spectral fitting with Monte Carlo Dropout Neural Networks
• Probing the millisecond pulsar origin of the $\gamma$-ray excess in the Galactic centre with LISA
• Resolving SLX 1744-299 and SLX 1744-300 in the hard X-ray band: implications for their ultracompact nature
• A NICER and AstroSat view of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 1A 1246-588