Bibcode
Casares, J.
Bibliographical reference
In: Binary stars: selected topics on observations and physical processes. Lectures held at the Astrophysics School XII organized by the European Astrophysics Doctoral Network (EADN) in La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, 6 - 17 September 1999, Eds.: F. C. Lázaro, M. J. Arévalo, Lecture notes in physics, Vol. 563. Physics and astronomy online library. Berlin: Springer, ISBN 3-540-41256-5, 2001, p. 277 - 327
Advertised on:
2001
Citations
11
Refereed citations
8
Description
This chapter summarizes the optical properties of X-ray binaries, with
special emphasis on the class of low mass X-ray binaries and soft X-ray
transients. The latter provide the most compelling evidence for the
existence of black holes in the Universe, with nine well-established
dynamical studies. We review the techniques employed to extract the
component masses and discuss the importance of systematic effects.
Despite the growing number of black hole cases, the uncertainties
involved are still too large to draw statistical conclusions on the mass
distribution of collapsed objects. We also present new observational
techniques which may help to improve the mass determinations and set
constraints on the theory of supernovae and black hole formation.