|
There are 66 candidate X-ray binaries within the ASKAP footprint
of the LMC observations conducted by
Pennock et al.
These are almost exclusively high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) systems formed by a compact
object (in most cases a neutron star) accreting matter from a massive
companion star.
Four X-ray binaries were clearly detected in the 888 MHz catalogues.
One of the most famous X-ray binaries in the Large Magellanic
Cloud, LMC X-1, a black hole + supergiant system,
was not detected -- there was no radio point-like source at the known
position of the X-ray source. However,
as shown abovea radio arc was detected with LMC X-1 in its focus,
peaking at 4 arcseconds due South (1 pc in projection at the distance of
the LMC). If this is a bow shock ahead of the
supersonic motion of LMC X-1 then this means the binary must
have originated from outside the prominent star-forming region
LHA 120-N 159 into which it would seem to be heading. The system
may have run away from N 159 and subsequently received a lateral
kick when the supernova created the black hole.
The beam size for ASKAP 888 MHz is ~13 arcsec x 12 arcsec
and is represented by the white ellipse in the bottom right.
|
