59 research outputs found
Outburst Morphology in the Soft X-ray Transient Aquila X-1
We present optical and near-IR (OIR) observations of the major outbursts of
the neutron star soft X-ray transient binary system Aquila X-1, from summer
1998 -- fall 2007. The major outbursts of the source over the observed timespan
seem to exhibit two main types of light curve morphologies, (a) the classical
Fast-Rise and Exponential-Decay (FRED) type outburst seen in many soft X-ray
transients and (b) the Low-Intensity State (LIS) where the
optical-to-soft-X-ray flux ratio is much higher than that seen during a FRED.
Thus there is no single correlation between the optical (R-band) and soft X-ray
(1.5-12 keV, as seen by the ASM onboard RXTE) fluxes even within the hard state
for Aquila X-1, suggesting that LISs and FREDs have fundamentally different
accretion flow properties. Time evolution of the OIR fluxes during the major
LIS and FRED outbursts is compatible with thermal heating of the irradiated
outer accretion disk. No signature of X-ray spectral state changes or any
compact jet are seen in the OIR, showing that the OIR color-magnitude diagram
(CMD) can be used as a diagnostic tool to separate thermal and non-thermal
radiation from X-ray binaries where orbital and physical parameters of the
system are reasonably well known. We suggest that the LIS may be caused by
truncation of the inner disk in a relatively high mass accretion state,
possibly due to matter being diverted into a weak outflow.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Uses aastex. 27 pages and 10 figure
Simultaneous multiwavelength observations of V404 Cygni during its 2015 June outburst decay strengthen the case for an extremely energetic jet-base
We present results of multiband optical photometry of the black hole X-ray
binary system V404 Cygni obtained using Wheaton College Observatory's 0.3m
telescope, along with strictly simultaneous INTEGRAL and Swift observations
during 2015 June 25.15--26.33 UT, and 2015 June 27.10--27.34 UT. These
observations were made during the 2015 June outburst of the source when it was
going through an epoch of violent activity in all wavelengths ranging from
radio to -rays. The multiwavelength variability timescale favors a
compact emission region, most likely originating in a jet outflow, for both
observing epochs presented in this work. The simultaneous INTEGRAL/Imager on
Board the Integral Satellite (IBIS) 20--40 keV light curve obtained during the
June 27 observing run correlates very strongly with the optical light curve,
with no detectable delay between the optical bands as well as between the
optical and hard X-rays. The average slope of the dereddened spectral energy
distribution was roughly flat between the - and -bands during the June
27 run, even though the optical and X-ray flux varied by 25 during
the run, ruling out an irradiation origin for the optical and suggesting that
the optically thick to optically thin jet synchrotron break during the
observations was at a frequency larger than that of -band, which is quite
extreme for X-ray binaries. These observations suggest that the optical
emission originated very close to the base of the jet. A strong H
emission line, probably originating in a quasi-spherical nebula around the
source, also contributes significantly in the -band. Our data, in
conjunction with contemporaneous data at other wavelengths presented by other
groups, strongly suggest that the jet-base was extremely compact and energetic
during this phase of the outburst.Comment: 15 pages, 2 tables, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
The Jet in the Galactic Center: An Ideal Laboratory for Magnetohydrodynamics and General Relativity
In this paper we review and discuss some of the intriguing properties of the
Galactic Center supermassive black hole candidate Sgr A*. Of all possible black
hole sources, the event horizon of Sgr A*, subtends the largest angular scale
on the sky. It is therefore a prime candidate to study and image plasma
processes in strong gravity and it even allows imaging of the shadow cast by
the event horizon. Recent mm-wave VLBI and radio timing observations as well as
numerical GRMHD simulations now have provided several breakthroughs that put
Sgr A* back into the focus. Firstly, VLBI observations have now measured the
intrinsic size of Sgr A* at multiple frequencies, where the highest frequency
measurements have approached the scale of the black hole shadow. Moreover,
measurements of the radio variability show a clear time lag between 22 GHz and
43 GHz. The combination of size and timing measurements, allows one to actually
measure the flow speed and direction of magnetized plasma at some tens of
Schwarzschild radii. This data strongly support a moderately relativistic
outflow, consistent with an accelerating jet model. This is compared to recent
GRMHD simulation that show the presence of a moderately relativistic outflow
coupled to an accretion flow Sgr A*. Further VLBI and timing observations
coupled to simulations have the potential to map out the velocity profile from
5-40 Schwarzschild radii and to provide a first glimpse at the appearance of a
jet-disk system near the event horizon. Future submm-VLBI experiments would
even be able to directly image those processes in strong gravity and directly
confirm the presence of an event horizon.Comment: invited talk to appear in "Jets on All Scales", IAU Symposium 275,
G.E. Romero, R.A. Sunyaev & T. Belloni, eds., Cambridge University Press, 9
pages, LaTex, 4 figure
Suzaku Observations of 4U 1957+11: Potentially the Most Rapidly Spinning Black Hole in (the Halo of) the Galaxy
We present three Suzaku observations of the black hole candidate 4U 1957+11
(V1408 Aql) --- a source that exhibits some of the simplest and cleanest
examples of soft, disk-dominated spectra. 4U 1957+11 also presents among the
highest peak temperatures found from disk-dominated spectra. Such temperatures
may be associated with rapid black hole spin. The 4U 1957+11 spectra also
require a very low normalization, which can be explained by a combination of
small inner disk radius and a large distance (>10 kpc) which places 4U 1957+11
well into the Galactic halo. We perform joint fits to the Suzaku spectra with
both relativistic and Comptonized disk models. Assuming a low mass black hole
and the nearest distance (3 M_sun, 10 kpc), the dimensionless spin parameter a*
= Jc/GM^2 >~ 0.9. Higher masses and farther distances yield a*~1. Similar
conclusions are reached with Comptonization models; they imply a combination of
small inner disk radii (or, equivalently, rapid spin) and large distance. Low
spin cannot be recovered unless 4U 1957+11 is a low mass black hole that is at
the unusually large distance of >~ 40 kpc. We speculate whether the suggested
maximal spin is related to how the system came to reside in the halo.Comment: To be published in the Astrophysical Journa
A Fast X-ray Disk Wind in the Transient Pulsar IGR J17480-2446 in Terzan 5
Accretion disk winds are revealed in Chandra gratings spectra of black holes. The winds are hot and highly ionized (typically composed of He-like and H-like charge states) and show modest blueshifts. Similar line spectra are sometimes seen in dipping low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), which are likely viewed edge-on; however, that absorption is tied to structures in the outer disk, and blueshifts are not typically observed. Here, we report the detection of blueshifted He-like Fe XXV (3100 ± 400 km s-1) and H-like Fe XXVI (1000 ± 200 km s-1) absorption lines in a Chandra/HETG spectrum of the transient pulsar and LMXB IGR J17480-2446 in Terzan 5. These features indicate a disk wind with at least superficial similarities to those observed in stellar-mass black holes. The wind does not vary strongly with numerous weak X-ray bursts or flares. A broad Fe K emission line is detected in the spectrum, and fits with different line models suggest that the inner accretion disk in this system may be truncated. If the stellar magnetic field truncates the disk, a field strength of B= (0.7-4.0)×109 G is implied, which is in line with estimates based on X-ray timing techniques. We discuss our findings in the context of accretion flows onto neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes
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