1,539 research outputs found
The variable radio counterpart and possible large-scale jet of the new Z-source XTE J1701-462
We report radio observations, made with the Australia Telescope Compact
Array, of the X-ray transient XTE J1701-462. This system has been classified as
a new `Z' source, displaying characteristic patterns of behaviour probably
associated with accretion onto a low magnetic field neutron star at close to
the Eddington limit. The radio counterpart is highly variable, and was detected
in six of sixteen observations over the period 2006 January -- April. The
coupling of radio emission to X-ray state, despite limited sampling, appears to
be similar to that of other `Z' sources, in that there is no radio emission on
the flaring branch. The mean radio and X-ray luminosities are consistent with
the other Z sources for a distance of 5--15 kpc. The radio spectrum is
unusually flat, or even inverted, in contrast to the related sources, Sco X-1
and Cir X-1, which usually display an optically thin radio spectrum. Deep
wide-field observations indicate an extended structure three arcminutes to the
south which is aligned with the X-ray binary. This seems to represent a
significant overdensity of radio sources for the field and so, although a
background source remains a strong possibility, we consider it plausible that
this is a large-scale jet associated with XTE J1701-462.Comment: Accepted for publication as a Letter in MNRA
Modeling the X-ray Contribution of X-ray Binary Jets
Astrophysical jets exist in both XRBs and AGN, and seem to share common
features, particularly in the radio. While AGN jets are known to emit X-rays,
the situation for XRB jets is not so clear. Radio jets have been resolved in
several XRBs in the low/hard state, establishing that some form of outflow is
routinely present in this state. Interestingly, the flat-to-inverted radio
synchrotron emission associated with these outflows strongly correlates with
the X-ray emission in several sources, suggesting that the jet plasma plays a
role at higher frequencies. In this same state, there is increasing evidence
for a turnover in the IR/optical where the flat-to-inverted spectrum seems to
connect to an optically thin component extending into the X-rays. We discuss
how jet synchrotron emission is likely to contribute to the X-rays, in addition
to inverse Compton up-scattering, providing a natural explanation for these
correlations and the turnover in the IR/optical band. We present model
parameters for fits to several sources, and address some common misconceptions
about the jet model.Comment: 4 pages, 1 Table, conference proceedings for "The Physics of
Relativistic Jets in the Chandra and XMM Era, Bologna, 2002", Eds. G.
Brunetti, D. E. Harris, R. M. Sambruna & G. Sett
Near-infrared synchrotron emission from the compact jet of GX339-4
We have compiled contemporaneous broadband observations of the black hole
candidate X-ray binary GX 339-4 when in the low/hard X-ray state in 1981 and
1997. The data clearly reveal the presence of two spectral components, with
thermal and non-thermal spectra, overlapping in the optical -- near-infrared
bands. The non-thermal component lies on an extrapolation of the radio spectrum
of the source, and we interpret it as optically thin synchrotron emission from
the powerful, compact jet in the system. Detection of this break from
self-absorbed to optically thin synchrotron emission from the jet allows us to
place a firm lower limit on the ratio of jet (synchrotron) to X-ray
luminosities of %. We further note that extrapolation of the optically
thin synchrotron component from the near-infrared to higher frequencies
coincides with the observed X-ray spectrum, supporting models in which the
X-rays could originate via optically thin synchrotron emission from the jet
(possibly instead of Comptonisation).Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Lette
The infrared/X-ray correlation of GX 339-4: Probing hard X-ray emission in accreting black holes
GX 339-4 has been one of the key sources for unravelling the accretion
ejection coupling in accreting stellar mass black holes. After a long period of
quiescence between 1999 and 2002, GX 339-4 underwent a series of 4 outbursts
that have been intensively observed by many ground based observatories [radio,
infrared(IR), optical] and satellites (X-rays). Here, we present results of
these broad-band observational campaigns, focusing on the optical-IR
(OIR)/X-ray flux correlations over the four outbursts. We found tight OIR/X-ray
correlations over four decades with the presence of a break in the IR/X-ray
correlation in the hard state. This correlation is the same for all four
outbursts. This can be interpreted in a consistent way by considering a
synchrotron self-Compton origin of the X-rays in which the break frequency
varies between the optically thick and thin regime of the jet spectrum. We also
highlight the similarities and differences between optical/X-ray and IR/X-ray
correlations which suggest a jet origin of the near-IR emission in the hard
state while the optical is more likely dominated by the blackbody emission of
the accretion disc in both hard and soft state. However we find a non
negligible contribution of 40 per cent of the jet emission in the V-band during
the hard state.
We finally concentrate on a soft-to-hard state transition during the decay of
the 2004 outburst by comparing the radio, IR, optical and hard X-rays light
curves. It appears that unusual delays between the peak of emission in the
different energy domains may provide some important constraints on jet
formation scenario.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 12 pages, 8 figure
Radio / X-ray correlation in the low/hard state of GX 339--4
We present the results of a long-term study of the black hole candidate GX
339-4 using simultaneous radio (from the Australia Telescope Compact Array) and
X-ray (from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and BeppoSAX) observations
performed between 1997 and 2000. We find strong evidence for a correlation
between these two emission regimes that extends over more than three decades in
X-ray flux, down to the quiescence level of GX 339-4. This is the strongest
evidence to date for such strong coupling between radio and X-ray emission. We
discuss these results in light of a jet model that can explain the radio/X-ray
correlation. This could indicate that a significant fraction of the X-ray flux
that is observed in the low-hard state of black hole candidates may be due to
optically thin synchrotron emission from the compact jet.Comment: 8 pages. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 200
The first outburst of the black hole candidate MAXI J1836-194 observed by INTEGRAL, Swift, and RXTE
MAXI J1836-194 is a transient black-hole candidate discovered in outburst by
MAXI on 30 August 2011. We report on the available INTEGRAL, Swift, and RXTE
observations performed in the direction of the source during this event before
55 864 MJD. Combining the broad band (0.6-200 keV) spectral and timing
information obtained from these data with the results of radio observations, we
show that the event displayed by MAXI J1836-194 is another example of "failed"
outburst. During the first ~20 days after the onset of the event, the source
underwent a transition from the canonical low/hard to the hard intermediate
state, while reaching the highest X-ray flux. In the ~40 days following the
peak of the outburst, the source displayed a progressive spectral hardening and
a decrease of the X-ray flux, thus it entered again the low/hard state and
began its return to quiescence.Comment: Accepted for A&A Letters on 22 Dec. 201
- …