%0 Journal Article
%T Formation and Evolution of Black Hole X-ray Transient Systems
%A G. E. Brown
%A C. -H. Lee
%A T. M. Taruis
%J Physics
%D 2001
%I arXiv
%R 10.1016/S1384-1076(01)00059-8
%X We study the formation of low-mass black hole X-ray binaries with main sequence companions that have formed through case C mass transfer (mass transfer following the helium core burning phase of the black hole progenitor). We identify these objects with the observed soft X-ray transients. Although this scenario requires a set of fine tuned conditions, we are able to produce a current Galactic population of about 2000 objects, in agreement with estimates based on observations. The narrow interval in initial separations leading to case C mass transfer, combined with the allowed narrow range of separations after the common envelope evolution, constrains the common envelope efficiency in this scenario: $\lambda \alpha_{ce} \approx 0.2-0.5$.
%U http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0102001v2