A new study has revealed a unique behavior of the X-ray binary GX 339-4, which could have implications for our understanding of the physics of X-ray binaries. The study, conducted by an international team of scientists, found that the X-ray binary GX 339-4 exhibited a “state transition” in which it moved from a low-luminosity state to a high-luminosity state over a period of several weeks. This is the first time such a transition has been observed in an X-ray binary. The team believe that this transition could be caused by an increase in the rate of accretion onto the compact object, or by a change in the structure of the accretion disk. Further studies will be needed to determine the cause of the transition.

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source: Phys.org