Formation of low-mass x-ray binaries

Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are bright X-ray sources that consist of a compact object (neutron star or black hole) accreting from a low-mass companion that fills its Roche lobe and tidally loses mass. A study of the origin and properties of such systems formed in the Galactic disk is presented, involving the statistical modeling of the evolution of a primordial ensemble of binaries through evolutionary stages until the onset of the X-ray phase. For the completion of this study, understanding of the effects of supernova explosions on orbital dynamics, as well as knowledge of the binary characteristics of nascent LMXBs are required.Ope