Uncovering the Quasi-Periodic Oscillations of the X-Ray Binary GX 13+1
In a recent breakthrough, an international team of researchers has discovered a new type of “quasi-periodic oscillations” (QPOs) in an X-ray binary system known as GX 339-4. This marks an exciting development in the understanding of the physical processes occurring in X-ray binary systems, which are binary star systems made up of a normal star and either a neutron star or a black hole.
The team of researchers from the University of Leicester, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Tübingen has published their findings in the recent issue of Nature Astronomy. They observed the unusual QPOs in GX 339-4, which is a system composed of a black hole and a low-mass companion star. The QPOs were seen to vary in intensity and frequency over time, and the team concluded that they are caused by the interaction between the black hole and the companion star, as well as the accretion disc (a disc of gas and dust surrounding the black hole).
source: Phys.org