0720017

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) represent an exceptional opportunity to study the evolution of X-ray binaries (XRB) under very di erent conditions to that in the Milky Way. The Clouds are close enough for the individual sources to be detected identi ed and studied whilst presenting diverse environments in terms of metallicity and tidal e ects. A recent Key Programme covering the SMC is producing a wealth of data on persistent and transient systems plus revealing strong evidence for the emergence of a previously-unknown XRB population in the western Bridge (the structure linking the LMC to the SMC). In this proposal we request a 2Ms Key Programme to investigate the LMC and the eastern end of the Bridge to a similar depth. Such a programme which will entail both the monitoring of transient sources and a search for a faint persistent population enables us to explore stellar and binary evolution in di erent chemical and tidal environments. [truncated! Please see actual data for full text]

大麦哲伦星系（Large Magellanic Cloud, LMC）与小麦哲伦星系（Small Magellanic Cloud, SMC）为研究X射线双星（X-ray binaries, XRB）在迥异于银河系的环境下的演化提供了绝佳契机。这两个星云距离地球足够近，可对其中的单个源体进行探测、识别与研究，同时在金属丰度与潮汐效应方面呈现出多样的环境特征。近期一项针对小麦哲伦星系的关键项目（Key Programme）已产出大量关于持续源与暂现源的观测数据，并在西麦哲伦桥（连接大麦哲伦星系与小麦哲伦星系的桥状结构）中发现了此前未知的X射线双星族群存在的有力证据。在本申请中，我们申请开展一项时长2兆秒（2 Ms）的关键项目，以相近的观测深度对大麦哲伦星系与麦哲伦桥东端展开研究。该项目将涵盖暂现源的监测与暗弱持续源族群的搜寻工作，助力我们探究不同化学与潮汐环境下的恒星及双星演化过程。[文本已截断，请查阅完整原始数据以获取全部内容]