BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CERN//INDICO//EN BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:X-ray binaries and stellar-mass black holes DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20240904T090000Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20240904T093000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260422T173312Z UID:indico-contribution-71@cern.ch DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Prof. MILLER-JONES\, James (International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research - Curtin University)\nX-ray binaries provide nea rby laboratories to study the launching and evolution of relativistic jets on human timescales. High angular resolution VLBI observations are critic al in determining the motions of these jets\, allowing us to track them ba ck to their launch point and determine an ejection time. This can be compa red with the contemporaneous X-ray behaviour to determine the causal conne ction between the changing geometry of the accretion flow and the evolving properties of the jets. However\, the rapid variability of the jets in bo th brightness and morphology can in some cases violate the fundamental ass umptions of aperture synthesis\, precluding high-precision measurements of the jet properties. Recent algorithmic advances are allowing us to overco me these challenges\, providing a wealth of new information on the propert ies of the jets. In this talk I will give an overview of recent progress i n this field\, explaining what we can learn from VLBI studies at different stages of an X-ray binary outburst. I will also discuss the use of X-ray binary jets as astrometric probes\, allowing us to measure the proper moti ons and parallaxes of these systems. Together with systemic radial velocit ies determined from the optical band\, these measurements can be used to c alculate the binary's motion through the Galaxy\, and hence place constrai nts on the formation of their black holes.\n\nhttps://events.mpifr-bonn.mp g.de/indico/event/371/session/11/contribution/71 LOCATION:CJD Bonn Castell URL:https://events.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/indico/event/371/session/11/contribut ion/71 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR