In this thesis we analyse X-ray data of accretion powered low mass and high mass X-ray binaries to understand the nature of their accretion mechanisms by searching for some clues of viscous time-scales of their accretion discs, if they have, in their low frequency power density spectra created from their long-term X-ray observations, or by doing pulse timing analysis with much shorter X-ray data to detect the effects of torque fluctuations caused by the accreting material on the pulsar. The low mass and high mass X-ray binaries we analysed have breaks in their power density spectra, which are attributed to the role of viscosity in the formation of accretion discs. Although, the time-scales corresponding to these break frequencies are smaller than the predictions of the Standard theory of accretion discs, the sources give consistent results among themselves by displaying the expected correlation between their break and orbital frequencies. The correlation curve of LMXBs implies thicker appearing accretion discs than those assumed by the theory. The dichotomy of the HMXBs on this curve points out the different origins of accretion that these sources may have, and offers a way to distinguish the stellar-wind fed systems from the Roche-lobe overflow systems. The timing and spectral analysis of Swift J1626.6-5156 reveal a correlation between the spin-up rate and the luminosity of the source implying that the pulsar is accretion-powered. This correlation together with the characteristics of the X-ray spectra enables us to estimate the magnetic field and the distance of the source. The AXP 1E 2259+586 does not display any signs of viscous time-scale in its low frequency power density spectra, and its pulse timing analysis gives a much smaller torque noise value than that expected from accretion powered pulsars. In addition, the analysis results presented in this thesis reveal magnetar-like glitches which differ than those of radio pulsars, due to the presence of the strong magnetic field of the pulsar. These results eliminate the possibility that the AXP is an accretion-powered pulsar.

Title: Physics of X-ray binaries Author: Jan Čechura Department: Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Petr Hadrava, DrSc. Abstract: We present a novel observation interpreting method for the high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) based on a combination of spectroscopic data and numerical results of a radiation hydrodynamic model of stellar wind in HMXBs. By using an indirect imaging method of Doppler tomography, we calculate synthetic tomograms of a predicted emission in Low/Hard and High/Soft X-ray states and compare them with tomograms produced using phase-resolved optical spectra of Cygnus X-1, a prototype of HMXBs. The emis- sions of HMXBs are determined by the local conditions within the circumstellar medium - namely by local density, temperature, and ionization parameter. These quantities are computed by the radiation hydrodynamic code and strongly depend on the X-ray state of such systems. By increasing intensity of an X-ray emission produced by the compact companion in the HMXB-model, we achieved a complete redistribution of the circumstel- lar medium in the vicinity of the modelled system. These changes (which simulate the transitions between two major spectral states) are also apparent in the synthetic Doppler tomograms which are in a good...

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Esta tesis doctoral por compendio de artículos está formada por tres análisis en los que estudiamos observaciones tomadas con el telescopio XMM-Newton de tres fuentes diferentes: La fuente 4U0114+65 es uno de los púlsares más lentos conocidos hasta el momento. Está formado por una donante de alta masa de tipo espectral B1Ia y una NS que la orbita con un periodo de 11.6 d. La NS gira sobre su eje con un periodo de ~ 9350 s. Esta fuente podría ser un magnetar (NS con un campo magnético muy intenso, incluso para una NS). En este trabajo presentamos el análisis de una observación en periodo propietario realizada con el satélite XMM-Newton durante 49 ks, donde hemos estudiado el proceso de acreción, las propiedades del viento estelar y la naturaleza de los pulsos de rayos X. Cen X-3 es un sistema binario compacto de rayos X de alta masa. La acreción sobre el objeto compacto, una NS en este caso, tiene lugar mediante disco de acreción. En este trabajo hemos analizado dos observaciones llevadas a cabo con el telescopio XMM-Newton. Una de ellas tuvo lugar en el año 2001, durante las fases orbitales ∅= 0.0 − 0.37. Esta observación fue tomada durante la salida del eclipse del objeto compacto, cuando la fuente se encontraba en un estado súper-orbital hard-low, hard porque la emisión de rayos X es muy energética y low porque la intensidad es baja. La segunda observación tuvo lugar en el año 2006, durante las fases orbitales ∅= 0.35 − 0.8. En este caso la fuente se encontraba en un estado súper-orbital soft-high, es decir, la luz emitida no es tan energética como en la primera observación pero su intensidad es mayor. Por último, presentamos un análisis de la primera observación tomada con el observatorio XMM-Newton del sistema eclipsante HMXRB XTE J1855−026. La observación tuvo lugar totalmente durante el eclipse de la NS, cubriendo las fases orbitales ∅= 0.00 − 0.11. Hemos comparado nuestro análisis de la fuente en eclipse con uno previo realizado con Suzaku en las fases orbitales previas al eclipse y hemos estudiado el viento estelar retroiluminado de la donante tipo B0I.

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Due to the high extinction along the plane of the Milky Way towards the Galactic Center (GC), it is useful to look at objects that are bright in the near-infrared (near-IR) to obtain data with Earth-based instruments. To identify X-ray Binary (XRB) counterparts towards the GC, we used near-IR spectra from the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). After reducing the LUCI/LBT spectra with the superFATBOY (sFB) pipeline, we compared our near-IR spectra to previously matched IR and X-ray sources in the GC (DeWitt, 2011). Particularly, we looked for H and He emission lines, which indicate signs of a hard radiation field present with typically red giant or red supergiant stars in the GC. This illustrates a likely physical association between the X-ray source and its IR counterpart.

In this thesis, X-ray and optical observations of accretion powered pulsars are presented. By using archival RXTE observations we work on the X-ray spectral and pulse timing analysis of 4U 1538-52, 4U 1907+09, SMC X-1 to have more detailed information about their orbital and spin parameters. For 4U 1538-52 and SMC X-1, we determined new orbital epochs. By using long term pulse history of 4U 1907+09, we were able to work spin-down trend of the system and also calculate the change in the spin-down rate. Using Fermi/GBM observations we can monitor bright accreting pulsar systems. We are producing long term histories of pulse frequency and flux of 20 continuosly monitoring systems. Adding Swift/BAT observations to GBM observations, for 4U 1626-67, we did reveal the characteristics belong to spin-down trend before and spin-up behaviour after torque reversal seen in 2008 February. Two newly discovered IGRJ06074+2205 and IGRJ01583+6713 sources are identified as X-ray binary systems and we found parameters of them like distance, magnitudes, by using both optical photometric and spectroscopic observations.

It is now widely known that most of the large galaxies we observe (e.g. the Milky Way) host in their center a supermassive black hole ($10^{6}-10^{9}$ $M_\odot$). Several relationships between the central black hole mass and the properties of the stars in the central part of the galaxy have been established in the past 3 decades indicating that the central black hole is able to efficiently structure the matter around it due to episodes of accretion of matter onto the black hole. Recent infrared and optical sky surveys have detected supermassive black holes with masses around $10^{8-9}$ $M_\odot$ when the universe was less than a tenth of its current age and current theories have difficulties explaining how such massive objects could have formed over such short timescales. The goal of the present work is to shed light on the properties of a still largely unknown extreme accretion regime, the so called super-Eddington accretion regime. If such accretion regime could be sustained over sufficient timescales, it could play an important role in both the rapid growth of supermassive black holes as well as its co-evolution with its host galaxy. The aim of this work is therefore to apply high resolution spectroscopy to Ultraluminous X-ray sources in order to identify narrow spectral features to derive constrains on the outflows expected from super-Eddington accreting sources using data from the XMM-Newton observatory. For this purpose I developed a framework to analyse low count background dominated spectra that uses a Monte Carlo approach to detect these narrow features. After analysis of the source Holmberg II X-1, I identify 7 unresolved discrete features with a 3$\sigma$ confidence level that can be tentatively identified with ionic species. Furthermore, the instrumental resolution allows us to put upper limits on the broadening of the lines. This findings will allow us to probe the properties of the outflows of the super-Eddington regime and by extending the analysis to other sources we will able to characterize the observational properties of this accretion regime.

The high mass X-ray binary 4U 2206+54 has been a very controversial system due to variability in spectral data as well as photometric data. We, at Brigham Young University, have been observing this system in multiple filters with several telescopes. This thesis presents our methods of observations, reductions, and results. It also compares what we have been detecting to other groups looking at the same target in different wavelengths. Furthermore, this thesis discusses some of the peculiarities of 4U 2206+54 and possible theories to explain these phenomena. Based on our photometric observations for the past three years, we believe the period of 4U 2206+54 is 25.1 days. Furthermore, spectral data show an unusual double-peaked Hα feature. We believe the primary star BD +53°2790 is a single star, and that the system is surrounded by a gas and dust shell.