Study of X-ray binary transients with ASTROSAT

X-ray binary systems form are expected to form a sizeable fraction of all X-ray sources likely to be studied by ASTROSAT, India's first multi-wavelength astronomical observatory. This talk shall take a look at how ASTROSAT can help increase our understanding of some of these binary systems. It shall do so by first looking at some open problems which remain in our understanding of two specific binary systems, each representative of a different type of X-ray binary, viz : 4U0115+634 (a neutron star high mass X-ray binary) and IGRJ17091-3624 (a black hole low mass X-ray binary). After this, some details of how the ASTROSAT observatory can answer these problems shall be looked into. Details of the capability of some of the relevant instruments in the observatory alongwith initial calibration efforts of the sky monitor onboard ASTROSAT shall be presented. This shall be discussed in the context of the study of X-ray binary transient systems.