{"id":{"repo_id":"lsu-thes","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-2078"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/lsu-thes/oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-2078","repository":{"repo_id":"lsu-thes","name":"Lousiana State University","base_url":"https://repository.lsu.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Photometric variability of X-ray sources in the galactic bulge","abstract":"The Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS) undertakes to find and classify X-ray sources in the Galactic Bulge. Of these X-ray sources, there is likely a significant minority which are Low Mass X-ray Binaries: systems containing either a neutron star or black hole that is accreting matter from a roughly stellar mass companion via Roche-Lobe overflow. I use optical time-series photometry from the Mosaic-II instrument on the Blanco 4m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory to identify counterparts to new X-ray sources in the GBS. Of those that are variable in brightness, I use the morphology of the changes and the relative proportion of optical and X-ray light, to identify high inclination systems through eclipses, to determine what periodicity, if any, is present in the optical light, and use these properties to partially or fully classify X-ray sources. The GBS contains a variety of X-ray sources, including Low Mass X-ray Binaries, Cataclysmic Variables, Intermediate Polars, Active Galactic Nuclei, W Ursa Ma joris stars, RS Canum Venaticorum stars, active stars, and flare stars. Spectroscopy greatly aids the classification of the X-ray source and is used, where available, to distinguish between source types and identify promising ob jects for further study. Only a handful of sources are identified as potential new Low Mass X-ray Binaries in quiescence, which places limits on the number of such systems in the Galaxy and on their outburst duty cycle. In addition to the GBS, I have done work on echo-tomography of Scorpius X-1, the brightest extra-solar X-ray source in the sky. I have found that reprocessing is dominated by the accretion disk in all observations, and that the companion is not reliably distinguishable in reprocessing of continuum light. I also found that reprocessing mainly occurs in the Flaring Branch of the Z-diagram, turning off in other X-ray states.","abstract_html":"The Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS) undertakes to find and classify X-ray sources in the Galactic Bulge. Of these X-ray sources, there is likely a significant minority which are Low Mass X-ray Binaries: systems containing either a neutron star or black hole that is accreting matter from a roughly stellar mass companion via Roche-Lobe overflow. I use optical time-series photometry from the Mosaic-II instrument on the Blanco 4m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory to identify counterparts to new X-ray sources in the GBS. Of those that are variable in brightness, I use the morphology of the changes and the relative proportion of optical and X-ray light, to identify high inclination systems through eclipses, to determine what periodicity, if any, is present in the optical light, and use these properties to partially or fully classify X-ray sources. The GBS contains a variety of X-ray sources, including Low Mass X-ray Binaries, Cataclysmic Variables, Intermediate Polars, Active Galactic Nuclei, W Ursa Ma joris stars, RS Canum Venaticorum stars, active stars, and flare stars. Spectroscopy greatly aids the classification of the X-ray source and is used, where available, to distinguish between source types and identify promising ob jects for further study. Only a handful of sources are identified as potential new Low Mass X-ray Binaries in quiescence, which places limits on the number of such systems in the Galaxy and on their outburst duty cycle. In addition to the GBS, I have done work on echo-tomography of Scorpius X-1, the brightest extra-solar X-ray source in the sky. I have found that reprocessing is dominated by the accretion disk in all observations, and that the companion is not reliably distinguishable in reprocessing of continuum light. I also found that reprocessing mainly occurs in the Flaring Branch of the Z-diagram, turning off in other X-ray states.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Britt, Christopher Tillman"],"institution":"Physics and Astronomy","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Physical Sciences and Mathematics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:58:50Z","subjects":["X-ray Binaries","X-ray Surveys","Galactic Bulge"],"languages":[],"rights":["unrestricted","Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["etd-08222013-152010","https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1079"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-08222013-152010","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1079","href":"https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1079","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1079","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Britt, Christopher Tillman"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-07-25"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-05-12T23:10:57Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Physical Sciences and Mathematics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Physics and Astronomy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["X-ray Binaries","X-ray Surveys","Galactic Bulge"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["etd-08222013-152010","10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1079","https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1079"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS) undertakes to find and classify X-ray sources in the Galactic Bulge. Of these X-ray sources, there is likely a significant minority which are Low Mass X-ray Binaries: systems containing either a neutron star or black hole that is accreting matter from a roughly stellar mass companion via Roche-Lobe overflow. I use optical time-series photometry from the Mosaic-II instrument on the Blanco 4m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory to identify counterparts to new X-ray sources in the GBS. Of those that are variable in brightness, I use the morphology of the changes and the relative proportion of optical and X-ray light, to identify high inclination systems through eclipses, to determine what periodicity, if any, is present in the optical light, and use these properties to partially or fully classify X-ray sources. The GBS contains a variety of X-ray sources, including Low Mass X-ray Binaries, Cataclysmic Variables, Intermediate Polars, Active Galactic Nuclei, W Ursa Ma joris stars, RS Canum Venaticorum stars, active stars, and flare stars. Spectroscopy greatly aids the classification of the X-ray source and is used, where available, to distinguish between source types and identify promising ob jects for further study. Only a handful of sources are identified as potential new Low Mass X-ray Binaries in quiescence, which places limits on the number of such systems in the Galaxy and on their outburst duty cycle. In addition to the GBS, I have done work on echo-tomography of Scorpius X-1, the brightest extra-solar X-ray source in the sky. I have found that reprocessing is dominated by the accretion disk in all observations, and that the companion is not reliably distinguishable in reprocessing of continuum light. I also found that reprocessing mainly occurs in the Flaring Branch of the Z-diagram, turning off in other X-ray states."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Photometric variability of X-ray sources in the galactic bulge"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Britt, Christopher Tillman"],"dc:date":["2013-07-25"],"dc:date.available":["2022-05-12T23:10:57Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS) undertakes to find and classify X-ray sources in the Galactic Bulge. Of these X-ray sources, there is likely a significant minority which are Low Mass X-ray Binaries: systems containing either a neutron star or black hole that is accreting matter from a roughly stellar mass companion via Roche-Lobe overflow. I use optical time-series photometry from the Mosaic-II instrument on the Blanco 4m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory to identify counterparts to new X-ray sources in the GBS. Of those that are variable in brightness, I use the morphology of the changes and the relative proportion of optical and X-ray light, to identify high inclination systems through eclipses, to determine what periodicity, if any, is present in the optical light, and use these properties to partially or fully classify X-ray sources. The GBS contains a variety of X-ray sources, including Low Mass X-ray Binaries, Cataclysmic Variables, Intermediate Polars, Active Galactic Nuclei, W Ursa Ma joris stars, RS Canum Venaticorum stars, active stars, and flare stars. Spectroscopy greatly aids the classification of the X-ray source and is used, where available, to distinguish between source types and identify promising ob jects for further study. Only a handful of sources are identified as potential new Low Mass X-ray Binaries in quiescence, which places limits on the number of such systems in the Galaxy and on their outburst duty cycle. In addition to the GBS, I have done work on echo-tomography of Scorpius X-1, the brightest extra-solar X-ray source in the sky. I have found that reprocessing is dominated by the accretion disk in all observations, and that the companion is not reliably distinguishable in reprocessing of continuum light. I also found that reprocessing mainly occurs in the Flaring Branch of the Z-diagram, turning off in other X-ray states."],"dc:identifier":["etd-08222013-152010","10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1079","https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1079"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide."],"dc:subject":["X-ray Binaries","X-ray Surveys","Galactic Bulge"],"dc:title":["Photometric variability of X-ray sources in the galactic bulge"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Physics and Astronomy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:58:50Z"}