Supersoft X-ray sources identified with Be binaries in the Magellanic
  Clouds
  We investigated four luminous supersoft X-ray sources (SSS) in the Magellanic
Clouds suspected to have optical counterparts of Be spectral type. If the
origin of the X-rays is in a very hot atmosphere heated by hydrogen burning in
accreted envelopes of white dwarfs (WDs), like in the majority of SSS, these
objects are close binaries, with very massive WD primaries. Using the South
African Large Telescope (SALT), we obtained the first optical spectra of the
proposed optical counterparts of two candidate Be stars associated with SUZAKU
J0105-72 and XMMU J010147.5-715550, respectively a transient and a recurrent
SSS, and confirmed the proposed Be classification and Small Magellanic Clouds
membership. We also obtained new optical spectra of two other Be stars proposed
as optical counterparts of the transient SSS XMMU J052016.0-692505 and
MAXI-J0158-744. The optical spectra with double peaked emission line profiles,
are typical of Be stars and present characteristics similar to many high mass
X-ray binaries with excretion disks, truncated by the tidal interaction with a
compact object. The presence of a massive WD that sporadically ignites nuclear
burning, accreting only at certain orbital or evolutionary phases, explains the
supersoft X-ray flares. We measured equivalent widths and distances between
lines' peaks, and investigated the variability of the prominent emission lines'
profiles. The excretion disks seem to be small in size, and are likely to be
differentially rotating. We discuss possible future observations and the
relevance of these objects as a new class of type Ia supernovae progenitors.
