Early Results from NICER Observations of X-ray Binaries

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is a 0.2-12 keV X-ray timing and spectroscopy instrument placed on the International Space Station in June 2017.  It has significant capabilities for the study of accreting neutron stars and black holes, including large effective area, low background, and excellent low-energy response. Both the NICER Burst and Accretion Working Group and the Observatory Science Working Group have designed observing programs that probe various aspects of accretion physics. I will present some early results from the first six months of the NICER mission, including observations of the black hole systems MAXI J1535-571, Cyg X-1, and GRS 1915+105; the accreting millisecond pulsar IGR J17062-6143; the high-mass X-ray binary pulsar Swift J02436+6124; and the X-ray bursters 4U 1820-30 and Aql X-1.