Catalogue of particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries

Department of Astrophysics, Geophysics and Oceanography, University of Liège, 17 Allée du 6 Août, B5c, 4000 Sart Tilman, Belgium
e-mail: debecker@astro.ulg.ac.be

Received: 7 June 2013
Accepted: 17 July 2013

Abstract

Massive systems made of two or more stars are known to be the site for interesting physical processes – including at least in some cases – particle acceleration. Over the past decade, this topic motivated a particular effort to unveil the properties of these systems and characterize the circumstances responsible for the acceleration of particles and the potential role of pre-supernova massive stars in the production of high energy particles in our Galaxy. Although previous studies on this topic were mostly devoted to processes in general, or to a few individual objects in particular, a unified target-oriented census of particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries (hereafter PACWBs) does not exist yet. This paper aims at making a general and unified census of these systems, emphasizing their main properties. A general discussion includes energetic considerations along with wind properties in relation with non-thermal emission processes that are likely at work in colliding-wind binaries. Finally, some guidelines for future observational and theoretical studies are drawn.