620 research outputs found
Do High Frequency QPOs Depend on Phase of Low Frequency QPOs in XTE J1550-564 ?
We have studied the dependence of the high frequency Quasi-periodic
Oscillation (QPO) (~284 Hz) on the phase of the low frequency QPO (~6 Hz) in
the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1550-564 in the observations of the Rossi
X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) performed on MJD 51241. By selecting the local
maxima and the local minima in the light curve on the 6 Hz QPO time scale, we
have found the corresponding high frequency QPO frequencies are consistent
within 1.5 sigma. However, the average central QPO frequency of the maxima and
the minima is about 2.0 sigma lower than the average high frequency QPO
frequency obtained in the entire observation. This marginally suggests that the
high frequency QPOs probably varies in frequency on short time scales. We
briefly discuss these results and their consequences.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the 4th
Microquasar Workshop, eds. Ph Durouchoux, Y. Fuchs and J. Rodriguez,
published by the Center for Space Physics: Kolkat
A transient relativistic radio jet from Cygnus X-1
We report the first observation of a transient relativistic jet from the
canonical black hole candidate, Cygnus X-1, obtained with the Multi-Element
Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN). The jet was observed in only one
of six epochs of MERLIN imaging of the source during a phase of repeated X-ray
spectral transitions in 2004 Jan--Feb, and this epoch corresponded to the
softest 1.5-12 keV X-ray spectrum. With only a single epoch revealing the jet,
we cannot formally constrain its velocity. Nevertheless, several lines of
reasoning suggest that the jet was probably launched 0.5-4.0 days before this
brightening, corresponding to projected velocities of 0.2c < v_app < 1.6c, and
an intrinsic velocity of > 0.3c. We also report the occurrence of a major radio
flare from Cyg X-1, reaching a flux density of ~120 mJy at 15 GHz, and yet not
associated with any resolvable radio emission, despite a concerted effort with
MERLIN. We discuss the resolved jet in terms of the recently proposed 'unified
model' for the disc-jet coupling in black hole X-ray binaries, and tentatively
identify the 'jet line' for Cyg X-1. The source is consistent with the model in
the sense that a steady jet appears to persist initially when the X-ray
spectrum starts softening, and that once the spectral softening is complete the
core radio emission is suppressed and transient ejecta / shock observed.
However, there are some anomalies, and Cyg X-1 clearly does not behave like a
normal black hole transient in progressing to the canonical soft / thermal
state once the ejection event has happened.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Coupled radio and X-ray emission and evidence for discrete ejecta in the jets of SS 433
We present five epochs of simultaneous radio (VLA) and X-ray (Chandra)
observations of SS 433, to study the relation between the radio and X-ray
emission in the arcsecond-scale jets of the source. We detected X-ray emission
from the extended jets in only one of the five epochs of observation,
indicating that the X-ray reheating mechanism is transient. The reheating does
not correlate with the total flux in the core or in the extended radio jets.
However, the radio emission in the X-ray reheating regions is enhanced when
X-ray emission is present. Deep images of the jets in linear polarization show
that outside of the core, the magnetic field in the jets is aligned parallel to
the local velocity vector, strengthening the case for the jets to be composed
of discrete bullets rather than being continuous flux tubes. We also observed
anomalous regions of polarized emission well away from the kinematic trace,
confirming the large-scale anisotropy of the magnetic field in the ambient
medium surrounding the jets.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 11 pages (emulateapj), 9 figures, 3
table
INTEGRAL/RossiXTE high-energy observation of a state transition of GX 339-4
On 2004 August 15, we observed a fast (shorter than 10 hours) state
transition in the bright black-hole transient GX 339-4 simultaneously with
RossiXTE and INTEGRAL. This transition was evident both in timing and spectral
properties. Combining the data from PCA, HEXTE and IBIS, we obtained good
quality broad-band (3-200 keV) energy spectra before and after the transition.
These spectra indicate that the hard component steepened. Also, the high-energy
cutoff that was present at ~70 keV before the transition was not detected after
the transition. This is the first time that an accurate determination of the
broad-band spectrum across such a transition has been measured on a short time
scale. It shows that, although some spectral parameters do not change abruptly
through the transition, the high-energy cutoff increases/disappears rather
fast. These results constitute a benchmark on which to test theoretical models
for the production of the hard component in these systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (9 pages, 6 figures
Orbital dynamics of Cygnus X-3
Orbital-phased-resolved infrared spectra of Cygnus X-3 in outburst and
quiescence, including tomographic analysis, are presented. We confirm the
phasing of broad HeII and NV lines in quiescence, such that maximum blue shift
corresponds to the X-ray minimum at phase = 0.00 +/- 0.04. In outburst,
double-peaked HeI structures show a similar phasing with two significant
differences: (a) although varying in relative strength, there is continuous
line emission in blue and red peaks around the orbit, and (b) an absorption
component, ~1/4 of an orbit out of phase with the emission features, is
discerned. Doppler tomograms of the double-peaked profiles are consistent with
a disk-wind geometry, rotating at velocities of 1000 km/s. Regrettably, the
tomography algorithm will produce a similar ring structure from alternative
line sources if contaminated by overlying P Cygni profiles. This is certainly
the case in the strong 2.0587 micron HeI line, leading to an ambiguous solution
for the nature of double-peaked emission. The absorption feature, detected 1/4
of an orbit out of phase with the emission features, is consistent with an
origin in the He star wind and yields for the first time a plausible radial
velocity curve for the system. We directly derive the mass function of the
system, 0.027 M_sun. If we assume a neutron star accretor and adopt a high
orbital inclination, i > 60 degrees, we obtain a mass range for the He star of
5 M_sun < M_WR < 11 M_sun. Alternatively if the compact object is a black hole,
we estimate M_BH < 10 M_sun. We discuss the implications of these masses for
the nature and size of the binary system.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ main journa
Cygnus X-3 with ISO: investigating the wind
We observed the energetic binary Cygnus X-3 in both quiescent and flaring
states between 4 and 16 microns using the ISO satellite. We find that the
quiescent source shows the thermal free-free spectrum typical of a hot, fast
stellar wind, such as from a massive helium star. The quiescent mass-loss rate
due to a spherically symmetric, non-accelerating wind is found to be in the
range 0.4-2.9 x 10E-4 solar masses per year, consistent with other infrared and
radio observations, but considerably larger than the 10E-5 solar masses per
year deduced from both the orbital change and the X-ray column density. There
is rapid, large amplitude flaring at 4.5 and 11.5 microns at the same time as
enhanced radio and X-ray activity, with the infrared spectrum apparently
becoming flatter in the flaring state. We believe non-thermal processes are
operating, perhaps along with enhanced thermal emission.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 11 pages, 6 figure
Orbital, precessional and flaring variability of Cygnus X-1
We present the results of a 2.5-year multiwavelength monitoring programme of
Cygnus X-1, making use of hard and soft X-ray data, optical spectroscopy,
UBVJHK photometry and radio data. In particular we confirm that the 5.6-day
orbital period is apparent in all wavebands and note the existence of a
wavelength-dependence to the modulation, in the sense that higher energies
reach minimum first. We also find a strong modulation at a period of 142 +/- 7
days, which we suggest is due to precession and/or radiative warping of the
accretion disc. Strong modulation of the hard and soft X-ray flux at this long
period may not be compatible with simple models of an optically thin accretion
flow and corona in the low state. We present the basic components required for
more detailed future modelling of the system - including a partially optically
thick jet, quasi-continuous in the low state, the base of which acts as the
Comptonising corona. In addition, we find that there are a number of flares
which appear to be correlated in at least two wavebands and generally in more.
We choose two of these flares to study in further detail and find that the hard
and soft X-rays are well-correlated in the first and that the soft X-rays and
radio are correlated in the second. In general, the optical and infrared show
similar behaviour to each other but are not correlated with the X-rays or
radio.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 2 figures in colou
A One-sided, Highly Relativistic Jet from Cygnus X-3
Very Long Baseline Array images of the X-ray binary, Cygnus X-3, were
obtained 2, 4 and 7 days after the peak of a 10 Jy flare on 4 February 1997.
The first two images show a curved one-sided jet, the third a scatter-broadened
disc, presumably at the position of the core. The jet curvature changes from
the first to the second epoch, which strongly suggests a precessing jet. The
ratio of the flux density in the approaching to that in the (undetected)
receding jet is > 330; if this asymmetry is due to Doppler boosting, the
implied jet speed is > 0.81c. Precessing jet model fits, together with the
assumptions that the jet is intrinsically symmetric and was ejected during or
after the major flare, yield the following constraints: the jet inclination to
the line of sight must be < 14 degrees; the cone opening angle must be < 12
degrees; and the precession period must be > 60 days.Comment: 12 pages 7 figures, accepted by Ap
MERLIN observations of relativistic ejections from GRS 1915+105
We present high resolution MERLIN radio images of multiple relativistic
ejections from GRS 1915+105 in 1997 October / November. The observations were
made at a time of complex radio behaviour, corresponding to multiple
optically-thin outbursts and several days of rapid radio flux oscillations. The
radio imaging resolved four major ejection events from the system. As
previously reported from earlier VLA observations of the source, we observe
apparent superluminal motions resulting from intrinsically relativistic motions
of the ejecta. However, our measured proper motions are significantly greater
than those observed on larger angular scales with the VLA. Under the assumption
of an intrinsically symmetric ejection, we can place an upper limit on the
distance to GRS 1915+105 of 11.2 +/- 0.8 kpc. Solutions for the velocities
unambiguously require a higher intrinsic speed by about 0.1c than that derived
from the earlier VLA observations, whilst the angle to the line-of-sight is not
found to be significantly different. At a distance of 11 kpc, we obtain
solutions of v = 0.98 (-0.05,+0.02)c and theta = 66 +/- 2 degrees. The jet also
appears to be curved on a scale which corresponds to a period of around 7 days.
We observe significant evolution of the linear polarisation of the approaching
component, with large rotations in position angle and a general decrease in
fractional polarisation. The power input into the formation of the jet is very
large, >10^38 erg/s at 11 kpc for a pair plasma. If the plasma contains a cold
proton for each electron, then the mass outflow rate, >10^18 g/sec is
comparable to inflow rates previously derived from X-ray spectral fits.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Spectroscopy of Infrared Flares from the Microquasar GRS 1915+105
We present near-infrared medium-resolution () spectra of the
microquasar GRS 1915+105 on 1997 August 13-15 UTC from the Hale 200-inch
telescope. The spectra showed broad emission lines of He I (2.058 m) and H
I (2.166 m - Br), consistent with previous work. On August 14 UTC,
we took spectra with -minute time resolution during infrared flaring
events similar to those reported in Eikenberry et al. (1998a), which appear to
reveal plasma ejection from the system. During the flares, the emission line
fluxes varied in approximately linear proportionality to the IR continuum flux,
implying that the lines are radiatively pumped by the flares. We also detected
a weak He II (2.189 m) emission line on August 14 UTC. The nature of the
line variability and the presence of the He II feature indicate that the
emission lines in GRS 1915+105 arise in an accretion disk around the compact
object, rather than in the circumstellar disk of a proposed Oe/Be companion.
The radiative line pumping also implies that the flare emission originates from
ejecta which have moved out of the accretion disk plane.Comment: 13 pages plus 4 figures, to appear in ApJ Letter
- …