Two decades of optical variability of Small Magellanic Cloud high-mass X-ray binaries

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Main Authors: Treiber, Helena, Vasilopoulos, Georgios, Bailyn, Charles, Haberl, Frank, Udalski, Andrzej
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Treiber, Helena
Vasilopoulos, Georgios
Bailyn, Charles
Haberl, Frank
Udalski, Andrzej
author_facet Treiber, Helena
Vasilopoulos, Georgios
Bailyn, Charles
Haberl, Frank
Udalski, Andrzej
contents We present an analysis of the long-term optical/IR behavior of 111 high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in the Small Magellanic Cloud based on data from the OGLE collaboration. Most systems exhibit variability on a range of time scales. This variability regulates the mass transfer to the compact object, while the compact object can, in turn, affect the donor star's behavior. To better understand this complex interaction and the resulting X-ray properties in these systems, we define a new taxonomy for the observed super-orbital variability. This taxonomy connects to the color changes, orbital periods, and X-ray behavior of the sources. In most cases, these properties can be explained by differences between the flux of the disk around the Be star and the flux from the star itself. We also refine and present new potential orbital periods and sub-orbital variability in the sources.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_13147
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Two decades of optical variability of Small Magellanic Cloud high-mass X-ray binaries
Treiber, Helena
Vasilopoulos, Georgios
Bailyn, Charles
Haberl, Frank
Udalski, Andrzej
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
We present an analysis of the long-term optical/IR behavior of 111 high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in the Small Magellanic Cloud based on data from the OGLE collaboration. Most systems exhibit variability on a range of time scales. This variability regulates the mass transfer to the compact object, while the compact object can, in turn, affect the donor star's behavior. To better understand this complex interaction and the resulting X-ray properties in these systems, we define a new taxonomy for the observed super-orbital variability. This taxonomy connects to the color changes, orbital periods, and X-ray behavior of the sources. In most cases, these properties can be explained by differences between the flux of the disk around the Be star and the flux from the star itself. We also refine and present new potential orbital periods and sub-orbital variability in the sources.
title Two decades of optical variability of Small Magellanic Cloud high-mass X-ray binaries
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.13147