Transient X-ray Sources as Extremely Eccentric Mass-Transfer Binaries with Compact Companions

TL;DR

This paper proposes that transient X-ray sources are caused by highly eccentric binaries with compact objects, where matter transfer at periastron leads to recurrent, gradually evolving X-ray emissions similar to tidal disruption events.

Contribution

It introduces a new model linking transient X-ray sources to eccentric mass-transfer binaries with compact companions, explaining their recurrent nature and orbital evolution.

Findings

Transient X-ray sources can be explained by eccentric binaries with matter transfer at periastron.

Recurrent X-ray transients show increasing orbital periods over time.

The model provides a Galactic analogue to tidal disruption events.

Abstract

It has long been suggested that X-ray transients are produced at periastron of stellar-compact object binaries with eccentric orbits. Recoil of matter evaporated from the star by X-rays from matter transferred at periastron increases the orbital semi-major axis and eccentricity. After periastrons the object would be a transient X-ray source, a Galactic analogue of a tidal disruption event (TDE), but recurrent with a gradually increasing period rather than catastrophic.