High-Mass X-ray Binaries and the Spiral Structure of the Host Galaxy

TL;DR

This study models and observes the distribution of high-mass X-ray binaries in spiral galaxies, showing they are displaced from star-forming regions due to their finite lifetimes, with implications for understanding galaxy structure.

Contribution

It introduces a simple kinematic model predicting HMXB displacement relative to spiral arms and applies it to Chandra data of M51, linking HMXB distribution to their age.

Findings

HMXBs are more widely distributed than HII regions, consistent with model predictions.

The statistical significance of the observed distribution differences is low.

Predicted HMXB distribution in the Milky Way varies with their mean age.

Abstract

We investigate the manifestation of the spiral structure in the distribution of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) over the host galaxy. We construct the simple kinematic model. It shows that the HMXBs should be displaced relative to the spiral structure observed in such traditional star formation rate indicators as the Halpha and FIR emissions because of their finite lifetimes. Using Chandra observations of M51, we have studied the distribution of X-ray sources relative to the spiral arms of this galaxy observed in Halpha. Based on K-band data and background source number counts, we have separated the contributions from high-mass and low-mass X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei. In agreement with model predictions, the distribution of HMXBs is wider than that of bright HII regions concentrated in the region of ongoing star formation. However, the statistical significance of this result is low, as is the significance of the concentration of the total population of X-ray sources to the spiral arms. We also predict the distribution of HMXBs in our Galaxy in Galactic longitude. The distribution depends on the mean HMXB age and can differ significantly from the distributions of such young objects as ultracompact HII regions.