12–17 Apr 2021
Africa/Johannesburg timezone

Optical observations of high-energy gamma-ray binaries

13 Apr 2021, 17:35
25m

Speaker

Itumeleng Monageng

Description

Gamma-ray binary stars are intriguing members of the X-ray binary population which exhibit radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, allowing for the study of extreme astrophysical conditions. They are characterised by a feature in their spectral energy distributions that shows a peak above 1 MeV. To date, there are only eight known systems which display a wide range of observational parameters. These systems are composed of an early-type star (O/B spectral class) and compact object which, apart from two systems, is of unknown nature. In this talk I will give an overview of gamma-ray binaries, highlighting the observational aspects of these systems, in particular those made at optical wavelengths.

Primary author

Presentation materials