INFRARED OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

We present the first results of our ISO program on High-Mass Xray Bina ries (HMXBs). Infrared photometry, obtained at different aspect angles of the systems, is used to investigate the massive star's disrupted s tellar wind and the accretion flow towards the compact X-ray source. S cenarios for massive binary evolution predict that HMXBs receive a lar ge kick velocity during the supernova explosion of the compact star's progenitor. One might, therefore, expect to observe wind bow shocks ar ound these systems such as observed around many OB-runaway stars. Such a wind bow shock has recently been discovered around the system Vela X-1.