We present the discovery of optical/X-ray flux correlations on rapid time-scales in the low/hard state of the Galactic black hole GX339-4. The source had recently emerged from outburst and was associated with a relatively faint counterpart with mag V ~ 17. The optical [Very Large Telescope (VLT)/ULTRACAM] and X-ray (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer)

We have conducted an extensive observational campaign of SWIFTJ1753.5-0127 during 2007 June after its bright outburst episode in 2005. We have performed multiband optical photometry, optical spectroscopy, X-ray spectroscopy and timing and ULTRACAM optical photometry simultaneously in three bands. Both the optical spectrum and the X-ray spectrum

Results of observations of the Galactic bulge X-ray source GX 9+9 by the All-Sky Monitor (ASM) and Proportional Counter Array (PCA) onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer are presented. The ASM results show that the 4.19 hr X-ray periodicity first reported by Hertz and Wood in 1987 was weak or not detected for most of the mission prior to late

Context. The optical counterpart of the neutron star X-ray binary and well known X-ray burster, 4U 1636-53 (=4U 1636-536 = V801 Ara) has been studied for three decades. However, no infrared studies have been reported to date. Aims: Our aims are to identify and investigate the near-infrared (NIR) counterpart of 4U 1636-53. Methods: We present deep

We present deep infrared (Ks-band) imaging polarimetry and radio (1.4- and 4.8-GHz) polarimetry of the enigmatic transient Swift J164449.3+573451. This source appears to be a short-lived jet phenomenon in a galaxy at redshift z= 0.354, activated by a sudden mass accretion on to the central massive black hole, possibly caused by the tidal disruption

The microquasar GX 339-4, known to exhibit powerful compact jets that dominate its radio to near-infrared emission, entered an outburst in 2010 for the fifth time in about 15 yr. An extensive radio to X-ray multiwavelength campaign was immediately triggered, and we report here on European Southern Observatory/FORS2+ISAAC optical and near-infrared

Magnetars are young neutron stars with very strong magnetic fields of the order of 1014-1015G. They are detected in our Galaxy either as soft γ-ray repeaters or anomalous X-ray pulsars. Soft γ-ray repeaters are a rare type of γ-ray transient sources that are occasionally detected as bursters in the high-energy sky. No optical counterpart to the γ

Over the last 40 years, X-ray astronomy missions have revealed long-term, superorbital periods in a variety of X-ray binaries. These modulations can provide significant constraints on the physical properties of accretion discs. Some of these modulations are Her X-1-like and are interpreted as irradiation-driven, tilted, precessing accretion discs

Regular observations by the All-Sky Monitor aboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite have yielded well-sampled light curves with a time baseline of over 10 years. We find that up to eight of the 16 brightest persistent low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) show significant, possible sinusoidal, variations with periods of the order of 10 years. We

We have conducted a 3-month programme of simultaneous optical, soft and hard X-ray monitoring of the LMXB 4U 1636-536/V801 Ara using the SMARTS 1.3-m telescope and archival RXTE/ASM and Swift/XRT data. 4U 1636-536 has been exhibiting a large amplitude, quasi-periodic variability since 2002 when its X-ray flux dramatically declined by roughly an

Aims: Using new Chandra X-ray observations and existing XMM-Newton X-ray and Hubble far ultraviolet observations, we aim to detect and identify the faint X-ray sources belonging to the Galactic globular cluster NGC 2808 in order to understand their role in the evolution of globular clusters. Methods: We present a Chandra X-ray observation of the

We present a multiwavelength study of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg in quiescence, focusing upon the spectral energy distribution (SED). Radio, optical, ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray coverage is simultaneous. We supplement the SED with additional non-simultaneous data in the optical through infrared where necessary. The compiled SED is the most

Context: Eight accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs) are known to date. Although these systems are well studied at high energies, very little information is available for their optical/NIR counterparts. Up to now, only two of them, SAX J1808.4-3658 and IGR J00291+5934, have a secure multi-band detection of their optical counterparts in

Phase-resolved spectroscopy of the newly discovered X-ray transient MAXI J0556-332 has revealed the presence of narrow emission lines in the Bowen region that most likely arise on the surface of the mass donor star in this low-mass X-ray binary. A period search of the radial velocities of these lines provides two candidate orbital periods (16.43 ±

We report the detection of an orbital period decay of dot{P}=-1.83+/- 0.66 ms yr-1 in the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1118+480. This corresponds to a period change of -0.85 ± 0.30 μs per orbital cycle, which is ~150 times larger than expected from the emission of gravitational waves. These observations cannot be reproduced by conventional models

We present time-resolved photometry of the optical counterpart to the black hole candidate Swift J1753.5-0127 which has remained in the low/hard X-ray state and bright at optical/IR wavelengths since its discovery in 2005. At the time of our observations Swift J1753.5-0127 does not show a decay trend but remains stable at R=16.45 with a night-to

In Casares et al. we presented the first radial velocity curve of the companion star to BW Cir which demonstrates the presence of a black hole in this historical X-ray transient. But these data were affected by aliasing and two possible periods at 2.5445 days and 2.5635 days were equally possible. Here we present new spectroscopic data that enable

Aims: We obtained phase-resolved spectroscopy of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 during its outburst in 2008 to find a signature of the donor star, constrain its radial velocity semi-amplitude (K_2), and derive estimates for the pulsar mass. Methods: Using Doppler images of the Bowen region, we find a significant (≥8σ)

We apply the K-correction to the black hole low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) GX 339-4 which implies MX >= 6Msolar by only assuming that the companion is more massive than ~0.17Msolar, the lower limit allowed by applying a `stripped-giant' model. This evolutionary model successfully reproduces the observed properties of the system. We obtain a maximum

We present new high-resolution spectroscopy of the low-mass X-ray binary Cyg X-2, which enables us to refine the orbital solution and rotational broadening of the donor star. In contrast with Elebert et al., we find a good agreement with results reported in Casares et al. We measure P = 9.84450 +/- 0.00019 d, K2 = 86.5 +/- 1.2 kms-1 and V sini = 33