Characterizing the quiescent X-ray variability of the black hole low-mass X-ray binary V404 Cyg

Abstract

We conducted the first long-term (75 d) X-ray monitoring of the black hole low-mass X-ray binary V404 Cyg, with the goal of understanding and characterizing its variability during quiescence. The X-ray light curve of V404 Cyg shows several flares on time-scales of hours with a count rate change of a factor of about 5–8. The root-mean-square variability isFvar = 57.0 ± 3.2 per cent. The first-order structure function is consistent with both a power spectrum of index −1 (flicker noise), or with a power spectrum of index 0 (white noise), implying that the light curve is variable on time-scales from days to months. The X-ray spectrum is well fitted by a power law with spectral index Γ = 2.10–2.35, and we found that the spectral shape remains roughly constant as the flux changes. A constant spectral shape with respect to a change in the X-ray flux may favour a scenario in which the X-ray emission is dominated by synchrotron radiation produced in a jet