scholarly journals The stringent upper limit on jet power in the persistent soft-state source 4U 1957+11

2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (1) ◽  
pp. L40-L45
Author(s):  
Thomas J Maccarone ◽  
Arlo Osler ◽  
James C A Miller-Jones ◽  
P Atri ◽  
David M Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Type I ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Source Distance ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Comprehensive Search ◽  
Radio Power

ABSTRACT We present extremely deep upper limits on the radio emission from 4U 1957+11, an X-ray binary that is generally believed to be a persistently accreting black hole that is almost always in the soft state. We discuss a more comprehensive search for Type I bursts than in past work, revealing a stringent upper limit on the burst rate, bolstering the case for a black hole accretor. The lack of detection of this source at the 1.07 μJy/beam noise level indicates jet suppression that is stronger than expected even in the most extreme thin disc models for radio jet production – the radio power here is 1500–3700 times lower than the extrapolation of the hard state radio/X-ray correlation, with the uncertainties depending primarily on the poorly constrained source distance. We also discuss the location and velocity of the source and show that it must have either formed in the halo or with a strong asymmetric natal kick.

scholarly journals Thermal and radiation driving can produce observable disc winds in hard-state X-ray binaries

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5271-5279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Higginbottom ◽  
Christian Knigge ◽  
Stuart A Sim ◽  
Knox S Long ◽  
James H Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Binary Systems ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hard State ◽  
New Generation

ABSTRACT X-ray signatures of outflowing gas have been detected in several accreting black hole binaries, always in the soft state. A key question raised by these observations is whether these winds might also exist in the hard state. Here, we carry out the first full-frequency radiation hydrodynamic simulations of luminous (${L = 0.5 \, L_{\mathrm{\mathrm{ Edd}}}}$) black hole X-ray binary systems in both the hard and the soft state, with realistic spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Our simulations are designed to describe X-ray transients near the peak of their outburst, just before and after the hard-to-soft state transition. At these luminosities, it is essential to include radiation driving, and we include not only electron scattering, but also photoelectric and line interactions. We find powerful outflows with ${\dot{M}_{\mathrm{ wind}} \simeq 2 \, \dot{M}_{\mathrm{ acc}}}$ are driven by thermal and radiation pressure in both hard and soft states. The hard-state wind is significantly faster and carries approximately 20 times as much kinetic energy as the soft-state wind. However, in the hard state the wind is more ionized, and so weaker X-ray absorption lines are seen over a narrower range of viewing angles. Nevertheless, for inclinations ≳80°, blueshifted wind-formed Fe xxv and Fe xxvi features should be observable even in the hard state. Given that the data required to detect these lines currently exist for only a single system in a luminous hard state – the peculiar GRS 1915+105 – we urge the acquisition of new observations to test this prediction. The new generation of X-ray spectrometers should be able to resolve the velocity structure.

scholarly journals Mixed H/He bursts in SAX J1748.9–2021 during the spectral change of its 2015 outburst

2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Li ◽  
V. De Falco ◽  
M. Falanga ◽  
E. Bozzo ◽  
L. Kuiper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Temperature ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Recurrence Time ◽  
Type I ◽  
Slab Geometry ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Spectral States

SAX J1748.9–2021 is a transiently accreting X-ray millisecond pulsar. It is also known as an X-ray burster source discovered by Beppo-SAX. We analyzed the persistent emission and type-I X-ray burst properties during its 2015 outburst. The source changed from hard to soft state within half day. We modeled the broadband spectra of the persistent emission in the (1–250) keV energy band for both spectral states using the quasi-simultaneous INTEGRAL and Swift data. The broadband spectra are well fitted by an absorbed thermal Componization model, COMPPS, in a slab geometry. The best-fits for the two states indicate significantly different plasma temperature of 18 and 5 keV and the Thomson optical depths of three and four, respectively. In total, 56 type-I X-ray bursts were observed during the 2015 outburst, of which 26 detected by INTEGRAL in the hard state, 25 by XMM-Newton in the soft state, and five by Swift in both states. As the object transited from the hard to the soft state, the recurrence time for X-ray bursts decreased from ≈2 to ≈1 h. The relation between the recurrence time, Δtrec, and the local mass accretion rate per unit area onto the compact object, ṁ, is fitted by a power-law model, and yielded as best fit at Δtrec ∼ ⟨ṁ⟩−1.02±0.03 using all X-ray bursts. In both cases, the observed recurrence times are consistent with the mixed hydrogen and helium bursts. We also discuss the effects of type-I X-ray bursts prior to the hard to soft transition.

scholarly journals Disc and wind in black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070 observed through polarized light during its 2018 outburst

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (1) ◽  
pp. L96-L100
Author(s):  
Ilia A Kosenkov ◽  
Alexandra Veledina ◽  
Andrei V Berdyugin ◽  
Vadim Kravtsov ◽  
Vilppu Piirola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Position Angle ◽  
Intrinsic Polarization ◽  
Data Set ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Optical Flux

ABSTRACT We describe the first complete polarimetric data set of the entire outburst of a low-mass black hole X-ray binary system and discuss the constraints for geometry and radiative mechanisms it imposes. During the decaying hard state, when the optical flux is dominated by the non-thermal component, the observed polarization is consistent with the interstellar values in all filters. During the soft state, the intrinsic polarization of the source is small, ∼0.15 per cent in B and V filters, and is likely produced in the irradiated disc. A much higher polarization, reaching ∼0.5 per cent in V and R filters, at a position angle of ∼25○ observed in the rising hard state coincides in time with the detection of winds in the system. This angle coincides with the position angle of the jet. The detected optical polarization is best explained by scattering of the non-thermal (hot flow or jet base) radiation in an equatorial wind.

scholarly journals Colors and patterns of black hole X-ray binary GX 339-4

2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. A127
Author(s):  
Ilia A. Kosenkov ◽  
Alexandra Veledina ◽  
Valery F. Suleimanov ◽  
Juri Poutanen
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Accretion Disk ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Interstellar Extinction ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Infrared Range ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Infrared Wavelengths

Black hole X-ray binaries show signs of nonthermal emission in the optical to near-infrared range. We analyzed optical to near-infrared SMARTS data on GX 339-4 over the 2002–2011 period. Using soft state data, we estimated the interstellar extinction toward the source and characteristic color temperatures of the accretion disk. We show that various spectral states of regular outbursts occupy similar regions on color-magnitude diagrams, and that transitions between the states proceed along the same tracks despite substantial differences in the morphology of the observed light curves. We determine the typical duration of hard-to-soft and soft-to-hard state transitions and the hard state at the decaying stage of the outburst to be one, two, and four weeks, respectively. We find that the failed outbursts cannot be easily distinguished from the regular outbursts at their early stages, but if the source reaches 16 mag in V band, it transits to the soft state. By subtracting the contribution of the accretion disk, we obtain spectra of the nonthermal component, which have constant, nearly flat shapes during the transitions between the hard and soft states. In contrast to the slowly evolving nonthermal component seen at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, the mid-infrared spectrum is strongly variable on short timescales and sometimes shows a prominent excess with a cutoff below 1014 Hz. We show that the radio to optical spectrum can be modeled using three components corresponding to the jet, hot flow, and irradiated accretion disk.

scholarly journals GRS 1758–258: RXTE Monitoring of a Rare Persistent Hard State Black Hole

10.14311/1480 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Obst ◽  
K. Pottschmidt ◽  
A. Lohfink ◽  
J. Wilms ◽  
M. Böck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Spectral Evolution ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Long Term Behavior ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
Black Hole Candidates

GRS 1758–258 is the least studied of the three persistent black hole X-ray binaries in our Galaxy. It is also one of only two known black hole candidates, including all black hole transients, which shows a decrease of its 3-10 keV flux when entering the thermally dominated soft state, rather than an increase.We present the spectral evolution of GRS 1758–258 from RXTE-PCA observations spanning a time of about 11 years from 1996 to 2007. During this time, seven dim soft states are detected. We also consider INTEGRAL monitoring observations of the source and compare the long-term behavior to that of the bright persistent black hole X-ray binary Cygnus X-1. We discuss the observed state transitions in the light of physical scenarios for black hole transitions.

scholarly journals NICER observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole X-ray binary

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (1) ◽  
pp. 851-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Zhang ◽  
D Altamirano ◽  
V A Cúneo ◽  
K Alabarta ◽  
T Enoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Spectral Evolution ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Candidate ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Intermediate States ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Timing Properties

ABSTRACT We studied the outburst evolution and timing properties of the recently discovered X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 as observed with NICER. We produced the fundamental diagrams commonly used to trace the spectral evolution, and power density spectra to study the fast X-ray variability. The main outburst evolution of MAXI J1348−630 is similar to that commonly observed in black hole transients. The source evolved from the hard state (HS), through hard- and soft-intermediate states, into the soft state in the outburst rise, and back to the HS in reverse during the outburst decay. At the end of the outburst, MAXI J1348−630 underwent two reflares with peak fluxes approximately one and two orders of magnitude fainter than the main outburst, respectively. During the reflares, the source remained in the HS only, without undergoing any state transitions, which is similar to the so-called ‘failed outbursts’. Different types of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are observed at different phases of the outburst. Based on our spectral-timing results, we conclude that MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole candidate.

scholarly journals X-ray spectral and flux variability of the microquasar GRS 1758−258 on timescales from weeks to years

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Hirsch ◽  
Katja Pottschmidt ◽  
David M. Smith ◽  
Arash Bodaghee ◽  
Marion Cadolle Bel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Term Variation ◽  
Transient Sources ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Proportional Counter Array

We present the spectral and timing evolution of the persistent black hole X-ray binary GRS 1758−258 based on almost 12 years of observations using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array. While the source was predominantly found in the hard state during this time, it entered the thermally dominated soft state seven times. In the soft state GRS 1758−258 shows a strong decline in flux above 3 keV rather than the pivoting flux around 10 keV more commonly shown by black hole transients. In its 3–20 keV hardness intensity diagram, GRS 1758−258 shows a hysteresis of hard and soft state fluxes typical for transient sources in outburst. The RXTE-PCA and RXTE-ASM long-term light curves do not show any orbital modulations in the range of 2–30 d. However, in the dynamic power spectra significant peaks drift between 18.47 and 18.04 d for the PCA data, while less significant signatures between 19 d and 20 d are seen for the ASM data as well as for the Swift/BAT data. We discuss different models for the hysteresis behavior during state transitions as well as possibilities for the origin of the long term variation in the context of a warped accretion disk.

scholarly journals X-Ray Determination of the Black-Hole Mass in Cygnus X-1

1998 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 388-389
Author(s):  
A. Kubota ◽  
K. Makishima ◽  
T. Dotani ◽  
H. Inoue ◽  
K. Mitsuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Optical Observations ◽  
Black Hole Mass ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Supergiant Star ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
Two Bodies

About 10 X-ray binaries in our Galaxy and LMC/SMC are considered to contain black hole candidates (BHCs). Among these objects, Cyg X-1 was identified as the first BHC, and it has led BHCs for more than 25 years(Oda 1977, Liang and Nolan 1984). It is a binary system composed of normal blue supergiant star and the X-ray emitting compact object. The orbital kinematics derived from optical observations indicates that the compact object is heavier than ~ 4.8 M⊙ (Herrero 1995), which well exceeds the upper limit mass for a neutron star(Kalogora 1996), where we assume the system consists of only two bodies. This has been the basis for BHC of Cyg X-1.

scholarly journals The study of multipeaked type-I X-ray bursts in the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636 − 536 with RXTE

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-178
Author(s):  
Chen Li ◽  
Guobao Zhang ◽  
Mariano Méndez ◽  
Jiancheng Wang ◽  
Ming Lyu
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Flux Ratio ◽  
Light Curves ◽  
Type I ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soft State ◽  
Peak Flux ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Two Peaks ◽  
Second Peak

ABSTRACT We have found and analysed 16 multipeaked type-I bursts from the neutron-star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636 − 53 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). One of the bursts is a rare quadruple-peaked burst that was not previously reported. All 16 bursts show a multipeaked structure not only in the X-ray light curves but also in the bolometric light curves. Most of the multipeaked bursts appear in observations during the transition from the hard to the soft state in the colour–colour diagram. We find an anticorrelation between the second peak flux and the separation time between two peaks. We also find that in the double-peaked bursts the peak-flux ratio and the temperature of the thermal component in the pre-burst spectra are correlated. This indicates that the double-peaked structure in the light curve of the bursts may be affected by enhanced accretion rate in the disc, or increased temperature of the neutron star.

Exploring the X-ray universe via timing: mass of the active galactic nucleus black hole XMMUJ134736.6+173403

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S356) ◽  
pp. 348-350
Author(s):  
Eva Šrámková ◽  
K. Goluchová ◽  
G. Török ◽  
Marek A. Abramowicz ◽  
Z. Stuchlík ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Frequency Ratio ◽  
Active Galactic Nucleus ◽  
Periodic Modulation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
M 10 ◽  
Frequency Ratios ◽  
Quasiperiodic Oscillations ◽  
Twin Peak

AbstractA strong quasi-periodic modulation has recently been revealed in the X-ray flux of the X-ray source XMMUJ134736.6+173403. The two observed twin-peak quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) exhibit a 3:1 frequency ratio and strongly support the evidence for the presence of an active galactic nucleus black hole (AGN BH). It has been suggested that detections of twin-peak QPOs with commensurable frequency ratios and scaling of their periods with BH mass could provide the basis for a method intended to determine the mass of BH sources, such as AGNs. Assuming the orbital origin of QPOs, we calculate the upper and lower limit on the AGN BH mass M, reaching M ≍ 107–109M⊙. Compared to mass estimates of other sources, XMMUJ134736.6+173403 appears to be the most massive source with commensurable QPO frequencies, and its mass represents the current observational upper limit on the AGN BH mass obtained from the QPO observations.

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