Luminosity functions of X-ray binaries and the dynamical history of their host galaxies

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dc.creatorWu, K.
dc.creatorTennant, A. F.
dc.creatorSwartz, D. A.
dc.creatorGhosh, K. K.
dc.creatorHunstead, R. W.
dc.date2003-02-18
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:07:39Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:07:39Z
dc.descriptionThe X-ray sources observed in nearby galaxies show brightness distributions (log(N(>S))--log(S) curves) which can be described as single or broken power laws. Single power-law distributions are often found for sources in galaxies with vigorous ongoing star-formation activity, while broken power laws are found in elliptical galaxies and in bulges of spiral galaxies. The luminosity break can be caused by a population of X-ray binaries which contain a neutron star accreting at the Eddington limit or by aging of the X-ray binary population. We show that a simple birth-death model can reproduce single and broken power-law log(N(>S))--log(S) curves. We have found that power-law log(N(>S))--log(S) curves are a consequence of smooth continuous formation of X-ray binaries and a luminosity break is the signature of a starburst episode in the recent past. The luminosity break is robust and is determined by the lifespans of the X-ray binaries relative to the look-back time to the starburst epoch. The model successfully explains the different forms of log(N(>S))--log(S) curves for the disk and bulge sources in the spiral galaxy M81.
dc.description4 pages, to appear in ``New Visions of the X-ray Universe in the XMM-Newton and Chandra Era''
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0302363
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0302363
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/5764
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleLuminosity functions of X-ray binaries and the dynamical history of their host galaxies
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