Studies of X-ray binary distributions in our Galactic halo and unresolved X-ray emission

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25400239
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Sugizaki Mutsumi 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, MAXIチーム, 研究員 (00469933)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TOMIDA Hiroshi 宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究本部, 研究員 (30399547) ; NAKAHIRA Satoshi 宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究本部, 研究員 (00611493)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: X線連星系 / ガス比例計数管 / 宇宙実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Using unbiased X-ray data taken by the MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) mission on the ISS since 2009 August, we performed systematic studies of X-ray binaries in terms of their outburst activities and the population in our Galaxy. Passing through the in-orbit operation over 7 years, two main X-ray instruments, Xe-gas proportional counters and CCD imagers, began to expose performance degradation according to the charged-particle irradiation. We revised the instrument response functions implementing all the in-orbit calibration information. In these 7 years, MAXI detected outbursts from 12 Be X-ray binary pulsars. We analyzed all their light curves, and investigated the correlations with the pulse period changes observed by the Fermi/GBM pulsar project. The results reveal that the observed relation largely agree with those of the Ghosh & Lamb 1979 model assuming the canonical neutron star parameters.

Free Research Field

X線天文学