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arXiv · 2606.26914

Transforming X-ray Binary Astrophysics with SKA+VLBI

Tao An·Ailing Wang·James C. A. Miller-Jones·Valeriu Tudose·Pikky Atri·Lang Cui·Hua Feng·Benito Marcote·Sara E. Motta
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Abstract

X-ray binaries (XRBs) are unique laboratories where accretion, jets, strong gravity and magnetic fields can be probed on humanly tractable timescales. The phased SKA-Mid operating as a single, ultra-sensitive Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) element will transform radio studies of XRBs primarily through its time-domain capabilities: substantially improved sensitivity on VLBI baselines that include SKA-Mid in Bands 2 and 5, together with connected-element SKA-Mid imaging extending down to 0.35--1 GHz (Band 1), microarcsecond-precision astrometry for bright systems, high-fidelity polarimetry for the most strongly polarized sources, and rapid target-of-opportunity response. In synergy with global VLBI networks, SKA+VLBI will track the evolution of compact ejecta and compact jets on astronomical unit (AU) scales, measure frequency-dependent core shifts to infer magnetic field strengths and gradients, resolve disk--jet coupling during state transitions in real time, and determine precise distances and natal kicks via parallaxes and proper motions. Joint campaigns with future X-ray and optical telescopes will enable strictly simultaneous, multi-band constraints on accretion--ejection physics and on jet composition. We outline a quantitative program for \aastar\ and AA4, including cadenced, multi-frequency VLBI ``movies'' of jets over the first days of outbursts, an XRB astrometric census, and a core-shift survey, and we provide representative detection rates, magnetic field measurements and distance accuracies. These outcomes will set the microphysical foundation for jet physics across the mass scale from stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars to active galactic nuclei, and will establish SKA+VLBI as the definitive facility for time-domain, high-resolution XRB astrophysics.

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Tao An, Ailing Wang, James C. A. Miller-Jones, Valeriu Tudose, Pikky Atri, Lang Cui, Hua Feng, Benito Marcote, Sara E. Motta. 2026-06-25. Transforming X-ray Binary Astrophysics with SKA+VLBI. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.26914

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