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[25.06] Variability of the Galactic X-ray binary luminosity function

H.-J. Grimm, A. Zezas, G. Fabbiano (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)

We investigate the effects of variability of Galactic X-ray binaries on the shape of their luminosity function, based on 8-year long monitoring of Galactic X-ray binaries with the RXTE All-Sky Monitor. From these data we construct luminosity functions for timescales from days to weeks, taking into account completeness effects as discussed in Grimm et al. 2002. We study the effects of variability on the shape of the Galactic XRB luminosity function for the whole sample and separately for high-mass and low-mass X-ray binaries. Finally, we discuss the application of these results to Chandra observations of X-ray binaries in other galaxies.

We acknowledge support by NASA grant GO2-3135X and NASA LTSA grant NAG5-13056.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.