X-ray Binary - Classification

Classification

X-ray binaries are further subdivided into several (sometimes overlapping) subclasses, that perhaps reflect the underlying physics better. Note that the classification by mass (high, intermediate, low) refers to the optically visible donor, not to the compact X-ray emitting accretor.

• Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs)
  • Soft X-ray transients (SXTs)
  • Symbiotic X-ray binaries
  • Super soft X-ray sources or Super soft sources (SSSs),(SSXB)
• Intermediate-mass X-ray binaries (IMXBs)
• High-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs)
  • Be/X-ray binaries (BeXRBs)
  • Supergiant X-ray binaries (SGXBs)
  • Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients (SFXTs)
• Others
  • X-ray bursters
  • X-ray pulsars
  • Microquasars (radio-jet X-ray binaries that can house either a neutron star or a black hole)