The INTEGRAL legacy on High Mass X-ray Binaries

Observations with the INTEGRAL satellite have quadrupled the population of supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), revealed a previously hidden population of obscured supergiant HMXBs, and allowed the discovery of huge and fast transient flares in supergiant HMXBs. Apart from these 3 observational facts, has INTEGRAL allowed us to better understand these supergiant HMXBs? Do we have now a better understanding of the 3 populations of HMXBs, and of their accretion process, separated in the so-called Corbet diagram? Do we better apprehend the accretion process in the supergiant HMXBs, and what makes the fast transient flares so special, in the context of the clumpy wind model, and of the formation of transient accretion disks? In summary, has the increased population of supergiant HMXBs allowed a better knowledge of these sources, compared to the ones that were already known before the launch of INTEGRAL? We will review all these observational facts, comparing to the current models, to objectively estimate what is the INTEGRAL legacy on High Mass X-ray Binaries.Comment: Contributed review during 8th INTEGRAL workshop, Dublin, Ireland, 27-30th Sept. 2010, 8 pages, 2 figure

Herschel observations of INTEGRAL supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries

We present preliminary results on Herschel/PACS mid/far-infrared photometric observations of INTEGRAL supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), with the aim of detecting the presence and characterizing the nature of absorbing material (dust and/or cold gas), either enshrouding the whole binary systems, or surrounding the sources within their close environment. These unique observations allow us to better characterize the nature of these HMXBs, to constrain the link with their environment (impact and feedback), and finally to get a better understanding of the formation and evolution of such rare and short-living supergiant HMXBs in our Galaxy.Comment: Proceedings of the 9th INTEGRAL Workshop and celebration of the 10th anniversary of the launch "An INTEGRAL view of the high-energy sky (the first 10 years)", accepted for publication in Proceedings of Science (editors: F. Lebrun, A. Goldwurm and C. Winkler), 4 pages, 2 figure

Herschel observations of dust around the high-mass X-ray binary GX 301-2

We aim at characterising the structure of the gas and dust around the high mass X-ray binary GX 301-2, a highly obscured X-ray binary hosting a hypergiant star and a neutron star, in order to better constrain its evolution. We used Herschel PACS to observe GX 301-2 in the far infrared and completed the spectral energy distribution of the source using published data or catalogs, from the optical to the radio range (0.4 to 4x10^4 micrometer). GX 301-2 is detected for the first time at 70 and 100 micrometer. We fitted different models of circumstellar environments to the data. All tested models are statistically acceptable, and consistent with a hypergiant star at ~3 kpc. We found that the addition of a free-free emission component from the strong stellar wind is required and could dominate the far infrared flux. Through comparisons with similar systems and discussion on the estimated model parameters, we favour a disk-like circumstellar environment of ~8 AU that would enshroud the binary system. The temperature goes down to ~200 K at the edge of the disk, allowing for dust formation. This disk is probably a rimmed viscous disk with an inner rim at the temperature of the dust sublimation temperature (~1500 K). The similarities between the hypergiant GX 301-2, B[e] supergiants and the highly obscured X-ray binaries (in particular IGR J16318-4848) are strengthened. GX 301-2 might represent a transition stage in the evolution of massive stars in binary systems, connecting supergiant B[e] systems to luminous blue variables.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ (tentatively scheduled for the December 1, 2014, V796 - 2 issue), 15 pages with emulateapj styl

Multiwavelength study of the fast rotating supergiant high-mass X-ray binary IGR J16465-4507

Since its launch, the X-ray and gamma-ray observatory INTEGRAL satellite has revealed a new class of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB) displaying fast flares and hosting supergiant companion stars. Optical and infrared (OIR) observations in a multi-wavelength context are essential to understand the nature and evolution of these newly discovered celestial objects. The goal of this multiwavelength study (from ultraviolet to infrared) is to characterise the properties of IGR J16465-4507, to confirm its HMXB nature and that it hosts a supergiant star. We analysed all OIR, photometric and spectroscopic observations taken on this source, carried out at ESO facilities. Using spectroscopic data, we constrained the spectral type of the companion star between B0.5 and B1 Ib, settling the debate on the true nature of this source. We measured a high rotation velocity of v = 320 +/- 8 km/s from fitting absorption and emission lines in a stellar spectral model. We then built a spectral energy distribution from photometric observations to evaluate the origin of the different components radiating at each energy range. We finally show that, having accurately determined the spectral type of the early-B supergiant in IGR J16465-4507, we firmly support its classification as an intermediate supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT).Comment: A&A in press, 14 pages, 15 tables, 13 figure

Individual studies of newly (re-) discovered galactic sources : a study with INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton

Le satellite européen INTEGRAL travaillant dans le domaine des hautes énergies a découvert de nombreuses sources dans les rayons X durs en direction du centre et du plan galactique. Ce travail de thèse a consisté dans l'étude des propriétés X et X dures d'un échantillon de ces sources. Pour cela, les données ont été complétées par l'apport d'un autre satellite européen XMM-Newton travaillant à plus basse énergie. La combinaison des deux satellites a permis de mettre en évidence la nature de ces sources. Les observations ont mis en évidence que ces sources étaient des systèmes binaires présentant des caractéristiques typiques dans ce genre de cas comme des pulsations, des périodes orbitales ou une extrême variabilité sur des échelles de temps courtes. Par ailleurs, ces sources présentaient une absorption intrinsèque formidable faisant du satellite INTEGRAL un outil extraordinaire pour les découvrir

Herschel observations of INTEGRAL supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries

We present preliminary results on Herschel/PACS mid/far-infrared photometric observations of INTEGRAL supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), with the aim of detecting the presence and characterizing the nature of absorbing material (dust and/or cold gas), either enshrouding the whole binary systems, or surrounding the sources within their close environment. These unique observations allow us to better characterize the nature of these HMXBs, to constrain the link with their environment (impact and feedback), and finally to get a better understanding of the formation and evolution of such rare and short-living supergiant HMXBs in our Galaxy. An INTEGRAL view of the high-energy sky (the first 10 years)- 9th INTEGRAL Workshop and celebration of the 10th anniversary of the launc