Soft X-Ray Transients as Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources

We discuss the possibility that the soft X-ray transient GRS 1915 $+$ 105 evolved from a binary similar to V4641 Sgr (XTE J1819 $-$ 254) by conservative mass-transfer, and estimate the possible mass-transfer rates during the evolution. The results indicate that the high mass-transfer rates could exp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 2004-04, Vol.56 (2), p.347-351
Main Authors: Lee, Chang-Hwan, Brown, Gerald E.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We discuss the possibility that the soft X-ray transient GRS 1915 $+$ 105 evolved from a binary similar to V4641 Sgr (XTE J1819 $-$ 254) by conservative mass-transfer, and estimate the possible mass-transfer rates during the evolution. The results indicate that the high mass-transfer rates could explain the high luminosities in ultraluminous X-ray sources. Although the high mass-transfer rates during evolution are accompanied by high luminosities, we find that much of the transferred matter may sweeps accompanying radiation in an adiabatic inflow of super-Eddington accretion. We suggest that soft X-ray transients with evolved companions (initial companion mass $ \gt 3 \,{{{M}_{\odot}}}$ ), e.g. GRS 1915 $+$ 105, can be ultraluminous X-ray sources if they are seen through their beaming axis.
ISSN:0004-6264
2053-051X
DOI:10.1093/pasj/56.2.347