Gamma rays from compact binary system

Abstract

Some of the very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources detected with the modern generation of Cherenkov telescopes have been identified with previously known X-ray binary systems. These detections demonstrate the richness of non-thermal phenomena in compact galactic objects containing relativistic outflows or winds produced near black holes and neutron stars. Recently, the well-known microquasar Cygnus X-3 seems to be associated with a gamma-ray source detected with AGILE. Here I summarise the main observational results on gamma-ray emission from X-ray binaries, as well as some of the proposed scenarios to explain the production of VHE gamma-rays.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Invited talk at the "Fourth Heidelberg International Symposium on High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy 2008