Detection of the Progenitors of Be X-ray Binaries
Douglas Gies1, Luqian Wang1, Geraldine Peters2
1CHARA, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5060, Atlanta, GA 30302-5060, USA.
Abstract:
A recent survey of the far-ultraviolet spectra of 264 B-emission line stars has revealed 16 systems with hot companions that are the stripped down remains of a former mass donor star. Some of these will probably become Be + neutron star X-ray binaries in the future. The actual numbers of such systems may be large, because the detected systems have companions that occupy the brief and bright, He-shell burning stage of evolution.
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