Catalogue of particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive catalog of particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries, summarizing their properties, energetic processes, and implications for high-energy astrophysics, filling a gap in the systematic understanding of these systems.

Contribution

It offers the first unified, target-oriented census of PACWBs, detailing their main properties and guiding future observational and theoretical research.

Findings

Compilation of known PACWBs and their properties

Analysis of energetic and wind characteristics related to particle acceleration

Guidelines for future studies in observational and theoretical domains

Abstract

Massive systems made of two or more stars are known to be the site for interesting physical processes -- including at least in some cases -- particle acceleration. Over the past decade, this topic motivated a particular effort to unveil the properties of these systems and characterize the circumstances responsible for the acceleration of particles and the potential role of pre-supernova massive stars in the production of high energy particles in our Galaxy. Although previous studies on this topic were mostly devoted to processes in general, or to a few individual objects in particular, a unified target-oriented census of particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries (hereafter PACWBs) does not exist yet. This paper aims at making a general and unified census of these systems, emphasizing their main properties. A general discussion includes energetic considerations along with wind properties in relation with non-thermal emission processes that are likely at work in colliding-wind binaries. Finally, some guidelines for future observational and theoretical studies are drawn.