Compact Binaries in the Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey
| Program ID | 19057 |
|---|---|
| Science Category | Stellar Populations |
| Program Type | Analysis |
| Category | Medium |
| Principal Investigator | Robert Hynes |
| PI Institution | Louisiana State University |
| Co-Investigators |
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| Abstract | Evolution of interacting binary stars is at the core of many prominent topics in astrophysics such as millisecond pulsars, Type Ia supernovae, gravitational wave sources, and searches for stellar mass black holes. Populations of binaries with compact objects are the key to understanding these phenomena and unlocking the uncertain astrophysics of common envelopes, supernova kicks, and magnetic braking. Galactic X-ray surveys can detect good statistical samples of objects like low mass X-ray binaries and cataclysmic variables and the bulge presents a particularly rich environment where efficient multiplexed follow-up with wide-field instruments is possible. Past surveys, though, suffer more from lack of quality optical/IR follow-up than a small number of X-ray detections. The Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS) can change all of this, and allow the characterization of the Galactic X-ray source population in unprecedented detail. We will crossmatch GBTDS sources with X-ray sources from three complementary X-ray surveys of the bulge (wide and shallow, medium, and narrow and deep respectively). Space-based IR observations will largely mitigate the crowding and extinction problems that have plagued ground based follow-up, and long, very well-sampled lightcurves will resolve the ambiguities in period determination and source classification. We will produce a catalog of probable Roman counterparts to the X-ray sources, with classifications, periods, and lightcurve morphologies that can be used to address open questions in binary evolution, supernova physics, and accretion astrophysics. |