Making physical sense of the properties of X-ray binaries

by Christine Done (Durham University, UK)

Tuesday 3 May 2011, 13:00 → 14:00 Europe/Stockholm

FA 32

I will review the spectral and timing properties of x-ray binaries, especially the behaviour seen as the source makes a transition from the low/hard to high/soft state. The broad band spectral evolution is well modelled by a truncated disc/hot inner flow geometry, where the truncation radius moves progressively towards the last stable orbit during the transition. Here I show that this same geometry can also quantatitively match the power spectral evolution, where fluctuations propagating through the hot flow (stirred up by the MRI) make the broad band continuum power spectra, and Lense-Thirring precession of the hot flow makes the prominent low frequency QPO.