Properties of accretion flows around compact objects have been investigated from the second half of the XX century. X-rays have been the primary energies for such studies, as it is in this range most of the gravitational energy is released. However, lately it became clear that the information contained in such observations is ambiguous. Neither physical processes nor the geometry can be reliably determined using the X-ray data alone. Nowadays, large multiwavelength observational campaigns are organised to study properties of the X-ray transients in the hope of drawing a physical picture of their behaviour. I will review the current status of observations in the field and give physical interpretation of various observed phenomena in these systems.

Page created on May 7, 2018.