X-ray sources in globular clusters

The twelve bright (Lx>10(36) erg/s) X-ray sources in the globular clusters have lower luminosities than the brightest sources in the bulge of our galaxy. The dim (Lx<10(35) erg/s) X-ray sources in globular clusters reach higher luminosities than the cataclysmic variables in the disk of our galaxy. The first difference is a statistical fluke, as comparison with M31 indicates. The second difference is explained because the brightest of the dim sources are not cataclysmic variables, but soft X-ray transients in quiescence. This article describes the BeppoSAX, ROSAT and first Chandra observations leading to these conclusions.