308 research outputs found
High-Mass X-ray Binaries: progenitors of double compact objects
A summary is given of the present state of our knowledge of High-Mass X-ray
Binaries (HMXBs), their formation and expected future evolution. Among the
HMXB-systems that contain neutron stars, only those that have orbital periods
upwards of one year will survive the Common-Envelope (CE) evolution that
follows the HMXB phase. These systems may produce close double neutron stars
with eccentric orbits. The HMXBs that contain black holes do not necessarily
evolve into a CE phase. Systems with relatively short orbital periods will
evolve by stable Roche-lobe overflow to short-period Wolf-Rayet (WR) X-ray
binaries containing a black hole. Two other ways for the formation of WR X-ray
binaries with black holes are identified: CE-evolution of wide HMXBs and
homogeneous evolution of very close systems. In all three cases, the final
product of the WR X-ray binary will be a double black hole or a black hole
neutron star binary.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, to appear in High-Mass X-ray Binaries,
Proceedings of IAU Symposium Nr. 346, 201
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