The X-ray Binary MAXI J1820+070
September 9th, 2016 by Joe Bright
Image credit: Ian Heywood
Most stars exist in binary systems, with two stars orbiting their common center of mass. Once one of these stars evolves off of the main sequenece it will explode in a supernova explosion and, depending on the stellar mass, form a compact object (either a neutron star or a black hole). The extreme gravitational fields surrounding compact objects, along with orbital evolution in e.g. a common envelope phase, can lead to a scenario where the compact object siphons off material from the other star in the binary system. This material forms a structure around the compact object known as an accretion disk, which is a natural shape considering that the angular momentum of the infalling material must be preserved. ARTISTS IMPRESSION FIGURE HERE.
