Like a Candle in the Wind: Jets in High-Mass X-ray Binaries (Speaker: Sebastian Heinz)

Abstract:
Under the right circumstances, X-ray binaries can launch powerful jets, rivaling supermassive black holes in the efficiency at which they convert accretion energy into kinetic power. Most microquasars are low-mass X-ray binaries, which implies that their jets can propagate through the circum-binary material mostly unimpeded. However, in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), the interaction with powerful winds from the massive companion can affect jet dynamics significantly. In addition, powerful winds from the accretion disk itself may impact the stability and propagation of jets. We use numerical simulations to model jet propagation into powerful winds, which I will discuss in the context of some of the prominent HMXBs.