X-ray views of neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries

Understand

A neutron star low-mass X-ray binary is a binary stellar system with a neutron star and a low-mass companion star rotating around each other.

• In this system the neutron star accretes mass from the companion, and as this matter falls into the deep potential well of the neutron star, the gravitational potential energy is released primarily in the X-ray wavelengths.
• Such a source was first discovered in X-rays in 1962, and this discovery formally gave birth to the "X-ray astronomy".
• In the subsequent decades, our knowledge of these sources has increased enormously by the observations with several X-ray space missions.