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[17.25] The X-Ray Binaries in the Galactic Bulge

J. H. Swank (GSFC), C. B. Markwardt (GSFC/UMD)

The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array monitored 62 sources in the galactic bulge region during the last 5 years, half of them transients. Of these, 8 of them had more than 2 outbursts during this time. These observations provide an archive of properties of the outbursts of the transients and the variability of the persistent sources, which should be related to the accretion disk and mass flow. Followup observations have occurred for 20, although only a few have been intensively studied, including the two millisecond pulsars XTE J1808.4-3658 and XTE J1751-305. The timing and spectral characteristics will be reviewed for the other neutron star and black hole candidates among these sources. For many, BeppoSAX observed bursts, providing distance and thus luminosity estimates. In a few cases the binary period is known. These will be compared to theoretical predictions of the boundary of transient and persistent sources and of the evolution of binaries from an initial distribution.

We gratefully acknowledge NASA support for this work.

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#2
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.