Compact objects are often found in binary systems with a companion star, slowly accumulating an accretion disk of stellar material which emits high-energy X-ray radiation as it inspirals toward the accretor. Observations of these X-ray binaries (XRBs) in nearby galaxies provide the best opportunity to study com-pact objects, their gravitational effects on their environment, and the high-energy physics powering their emission. Black hole XRBs (BHXRBs) are known to cycle through discrete emission states, segregated by their spectral shape and variability and directly linked to their accretion rate, with analogous states existing for neutron star XRBs (NSXRBs) (Remillard & McClintock 2006). The detailed analysis required to fully classify and characterize these systems is prohibitively time-consuming for large samples, but with each new parameterized system comes new constraints to the BHXRB population, making them easier to identify. In this thesis, I present a detailed analysis of 11 XRB candidates in galaxies within 15 Mpc. These come from a sample of the 78 brightest sources in our group's database of ∼45,000 X-ray sources observed by Chandra within this volume. I have determined appropriate spectral models for, searched for variability in, and determined the X-ray color of each of these sources, the resulting parameters suggesting that they are XRBs in either the thermal dominant or steep power law spectral state. I then compare the results of this analysis to those of the entire database population (Wright 2017). Doing so reveals a unique region in color-color-luminosity space in which ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) reside. Based on these results, I suggest a photometric classification model using the evolution of well-characterized XRBs through color-color-luminosity space, in order to extend this type of analysis to low-signal sources.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["X-ray astronomy","Compact objects","X-ray binaries"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Access was restricted until April 15, 2022.
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