Two decades of optical variability of Small Magellanic Cloud high-mass X-ray binaries

Aims. We present an analysis of the long-term optical/IR behavior of 111 high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in the Small Magellanic Cloud based on data from the OGLE collaboration. Methods. Most systems exhibit variability on a range of time scales. This variability regulates the mass transfer to the compact object, while the compact object can, in turn, affect the donor star’s behavior. To better understand this complex interaction and the resulting X-ray properties in these systems, we define a new taxonomy for the observed super-orbital variability. Results. This taxonomy connects to the color changes, orbital periods, and X-ray behavior of the sources. In most cases, these properties can be explained by differences between the flux of the disk around the Be star and the flux from the star itself. We also refine and present new potential orbital periods and sub-orbital variability in the sources.