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Although the study of X-ray binaries has led to major breakthroughs in high-energy astrophysics, their circumbinary environment at scales of $\sim$100--10,000 astronomical units has not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we undertake a novel and exploratory study by employing direct and high-contrast imaging techniques on a sample of X-ray binaries, using adaptive optics and the vortex coronagraph on Keck/NIRC2. High-contrast imaging opens up the possibility to search for exoplanets, brown dwarfs, circumbinary companion stars, and protoplanetary disks in these extreme systems. Here, we present the first near-infrared high-contrast images of 13 high-mass X-ray binaries located within $\sim$2--3 kpc. The key results of this campaign involve the discovery of several candidate circumbinary companions ranging from sub-stellar (brown dwarf) to stellar masses. By conducting an analysis based on galactic population models, we discriminate sources that are likely background/foreground stars and isolate those that have a high probability ($\gtrsim 60 - 99\%$) of being gravitationally bound to the X-ray binary. This publication seeks to establish a preliminary catalog for future analyses of proper motion and subsequent observations. With our preliminary results, we calculate the first estimate of the companion frequency and the multiplicity frequency for X-ray binaries: $\approx$0.6 and 1.8 $\pm$ 0.9 respectively, considering only the sources that are most likely bound to the X-ray binary. In addition to extending our comprehension of how brown dwarfs and stars can form and survive in such extreme systems, our study opens a new window to our understanding of the formation of X-ray binaries., Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

X-ray binaries provide exceptional laboratories for understanding the physics of matter under the most extreme conditions. Until recently, there were few, if any, observational constraints on the circumbinary environments of X-ray binaries at $\sim$ 100-5000 AU scales; it remains unclear how the accretion onto the compact objects or the explosions giving rise to the compact objects interact with their immediate surroundings. Here, we present the first high-contrast adaptive optics images of X-ray binaries. These observations target all X-ray binaries within $\sim$ 3 kpc accessible with the Keck/NIRC2 vortex coronagraph. This paper focuses on one of the first key results from this campaign: our images reveal the presence of 21 sources potentially associated with the $\gamma$ Cassiopeiae analog high-mass X-ray binary RX J1744.7$-$2713. By conducting different analyses - a preliminary proper motion analysis, a color-magnitude diagram and a probability of chance alignment calculation - we found that three of these 21 sources have a high probability of being bound to the system. If confirmed, they would be in wide orbits ($\sim$ 450 AU to 2500 AU). While follow-up astrometric observations will be needed in $\sim$ 5-10 years to confirm further the bound nature of these detections, these discoveries emphasize that such observations may provide a major breakthrough in the field. In fact, they would be useful not only for our understanding of stellar multiplicity but also for our understanding of how planets, brown dwarfs and stars can form even in the most extreme environments., Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ

MS 0735.6+7421 ($z = 0.216$) is a massive cool core galaxy cluster hosting one of the most powerful active galactic nuclei (AGN) outbursts known. The radio jets of the AGN have carved out an unusually large pair of X-ray cavities, each reaching a diameter of $200$ kpc. This makes MS 0735.6+7421 a unique case to investigate active galactic nuclei feedback processes, as well as other cluster astrophysics at radio wavelengths. We present new low-radio-frequency observations of MS 0735.6+7421 taken with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA): 5 hours of P-band ($224-480$ MHz) and 5 hours of L-band ($1-2$ GHz) observations, both in C configuration. Our VLA P-band ($224-480$ MHz) observations reveal the presence of a new diffuse radio component reaching a scale of $\sim$ $900$ kpc in the direction of the jets and of $\sim$ $500$ kpc in the direction perpendicular to the jets. This component is centered on the cluster core and has a radio power scaled at $1.4$ GHz of $P_{1.4\text{ GHz}} = (4\pm2)\times 10^{24}$ WHz$^{-1}$. Its properties are consistent with those expected from a radio mini-halo as seen in other massive cool core clusters, although it may also be associated with radio plasma that has diffused out of the X-ray cavities. Observations at higher spatial resolution are needed to fully characterize the properties and nature of this component. We also suggest that if radio mini-halos originate from jetted activity, we may be witnessing the early stages of this process., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRAS

A variety of large-scale diffuse radio structures have been identified in many clusters with the advent of new state-of-the-art facilities in radio astronomy. Among these diffuse radio structures, radio mini-halos are found in the central regions of cool core clusters. Their origin is still unknown and they are challenging to discover; less than thirty have been published to date. Based on new VLA observations, we confirmed the mini-halo in the massive strong cool core cluster PKS 0745$-$191 ($z=0.1028$) and discovered one in the massive cool core cluster MACS J1447.4+0827 ($z=0.3755$). Furthermore, using a detailed analysis of all known mini-halos, we explore the relation between mini-halos and AGN feedback processes from the central galaxy. We find evidence of strong, previously unknown correlations between mini-halo radio power and X-ray cavity power, and between mini-halo and the central galaxy radio power related to the relativistic jets when spectrally decomposing the AGN radio emission into a component for past outbursts and one for on-going accretion. Overall, our study indicates that mini-halos are directly connected to the central AGN in clusters, following previous suppositions. We hypothesize that AGN feedback may be one of the dominant mechanisms giving rise to mini-halos by injecting energy into the intra-cluster medium and reaccelerating an old population of particles, while sloshing motion may drive the overall shape of mini-halos inside cold fronts. AGN feedback may therefore not only play a vital role in offsetting cooling in cool core clusters, but may also play a fundamental role in re-energizing non-thermal particles in clusters., Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Clusters of galaxies are outstanding laboratories for understanding the physics of supermassive black hole feedback. Here, we present the first \textit{Chandra}, Karl G. Janksy Very Large Array and \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} analysis of MACS J1447.4+0827 ($z = 0.3755$), one of the strongest cool core clusters known, in which extreme feedback from its central supermassive black hole is needed to prevent the hot intracluster gas from cooling. Using this multiwavelength approach, including 70 ks of \textit{Chandra} X-ray observations, we detect the presence of collimated jetted-outflows that coincides with a southern and a northern X-ray cavity. The total mechanical power associated with these outflows ($P_{\mathrm{cav}} \approx 6 \times 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$) is roughly consistent with the energy required to prevent catastrophic cooling of the hot intracluster gas ($L_{\mathrm{cool}} = 1.71 \pm 0.01 \times 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$ for t$_\mathrm{cool}$ = 7.7 Gyrs); implying that powerful supermassive black hole feedback has been in place several Giga-years ago in MACS J1447.7+0827. In addition, we detect the presence of a radio mini-halo that extends over 300 kpc in diameter ($P_{1.4 \mathrm{GHz}} = 3.0 \pm 0.3 \times 10^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$). The X-ray observations also reveal a $\sim20$ kpc plume-like structure that coincides with optical dusty filaments that surround the central galaxy. Overall, this study demonstrates that the various physical phenomena occurring in the most nearby clusters of galaxies are also occurring in their more distant analogues., Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, resubmitted to ApJ (minor corrections)