Energy Feedback from X-ray Binaries in the Early Universe

TL;DR

This study uses population synthesis simulations to analyze the energy feedback of X-ray binaries from early galaxies to the present, highlighting their dominant role at high redshifts and how their X-ray output depends on metallicity and stellar age.

Contribution

It provides detailed models and prescriptions for X-ray binary energy output across cosmic time, improving understanding of their role in early Universe heating and reionization.

Findings

XRBs dominate over AGN at z>6-8.

X-ray spectral shape remains stable over redshift, normalization varies significantly.

Metallicity and stellar age greatly influence XRB X-ray luminosity.

Abstract

X-ray photons, because of their long mean-free paths, can easily escape the galactic environments where they are produced, and interact at long distances with the inter-galactic medium, potentially having a significant contribution to the heating and reionization of the early Universe. The two most important sources of X-ray photons in the Universe are active galactic nuclei (AGN) and X-ray binaries (XRBs). In this Letter we use results from detailed, large scale population synthesis simulations to study the energy feedback of XRBs, from the first galaxies (z~ 20) until today. We estimate that X-ray emission from XRBs dominates over AGN at z>6-8. The shape of the spectral energy distribution of the emission from XRBs shows little change with redshift, in contrast to its normalization which evolves by ~4 orders of magnitude, primarily due to the evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate. However, the metallicity and the mean stellar age of a given XRB population affect significantly its X-ray output. Specifically, the X-ray luminosity from high-mass XRBs per unit of star-formation rate varies an order of magnitude going from solar metallicity to less than 10% solar, and the X-ray luminosity from low-mass XRBs per unit of stellar mass peaks at an age of ~300 Myr and then decreases gradually at later times, showing little variation for mean stellar ages > 3 Gyr. Finally, we provide analytical and tabulated prescriptions for the energy output of XRBs, that can be directly incorporated in cosmological simulations.