Probing Compact Objects in the X-ray Sky: Flares and Bursts during X-ray Binary Eclipses, and Polarization in the 8-30 keV Band with the Indian X-ray Polarimeter
In the first part of this talk, I will discuss the investigation of flares and bursts during eclipses of X-ray binary systems. Reprocessed emission in X-ray binaries provides valuable clues about the compact object’s environment, including its chemical composition, ionization state, and geometry. In eclipsing systems, direct emission is blocked by the companion star, allowing only reprocessed emission to be observed, making them ideal for such studies. Flares in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) typically arise from enhanced accretion, while bursts in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are caused by unstable thermonuclear burning of accreted material. When these flares or bursts occur during eclipses, they provide unique insights into the size and nature of the reprocessing region and help disentangle different spectral components. I will present related results from our ongoing work. In the second part of the talk, I will discuss the initial results obtained from the Indian X-ray polarimeter (POLIX), a Thomson scattering polarimeter sensitive to X-ray polarization in the 8-30 keV energy range.
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