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 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.

ON THE NATURE OF THE X-RAY CORONA OF BLACK HOLE BINARIES

2012 ◽  
Vol 08 ◽  
pp. 73-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIEN MALZAC
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
High Energy ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Accretion Flow ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Radiation Processes

We discuss the nature of the X-ray emitting plasma of black hole binaries. It is well known that the temperature and optical depth of the Comptonising electrons of the X-ray corona of black hole binaries can be measured using spectroscopy in the 1 keV-1 MeV energy band. We emphasize recent developments in the modeling of high energy radiation processes which allow us to constrain other important physical parameters of the corona, such as the strength of magnetic field, or the temperature of the ions. The results appear to challenge current accretion models. In particular, standard advection dominated accretion flow do not match the observed properties of bright hard state X-ray binaries such as Cygnus X-1 or GX 339-4. On the other hand, we find that all the data would be consistent with a multi-zone magnetically dominated hot accretion flow model. We also emphasize that besides the usual spectral state transitions observed at luminosities above a few percent of Eddington, there is observational evidence for at least two additional, more subtle, radiative transitions occuring at lower luminosities.

scholarly journals Wind accretion in Cygnus X-1

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. A66 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Meyer-Hofmeister ◽  
B. F. Liu ◽  
E. Qiao ◽  
R. E. Taam
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Binary Systems ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Stable States ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Hard Spectrum ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Hydrodynamical Simulations

Context. Cygnus X-1 is a black hole X-ray binary system in which the black hole captures and accretes gas from the strong stellar wind emitted by its supergiant O9.7 companion star. The irradiation of the supergiant star essentially determines the flow properties of the stellar wind and the X-ray luminosity from the system. The results of three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of wind-fed X-ray binary systems reported in recent work reveal that the ionizing feedback of the X-ray irradiation leads to the existence of two stable states with either a soft or a hard spectrum. Aims. We discuss the observed radiation of Cygnus X-1 in the soft and hard state in the context of mass flow in the corona and disk, as predicted by the recent application of a condensation model. Methods. The rates of gas condensation from the corona to the disk for Cygnus X-1 are determined, and the spectra of the hard and soft radiation are computed. The theoretical results are compared with the MAXI observations of Cygnus X-1 from 2009 to 2018. In particular, we evaluate the hardness-intensity diagrams (HIDs) for its ten episodes of soft and hard states which show that Cygnus X-1 is distinct in its spectral changes as compared to those found in the HIDs of low-mass X-ray binaries. Results. The theoretically derived values of photon counts and hardness are in approximate agreement with the observed data in the HID. However, the scatter in the diagram is not reproduced. Improved agreement could result from variations in the viscosity associated with clumping in the stellar wind and corresponding changes of the magnetic fields in the disk. The observed dipping events in the hard state may also contribute to the scatter and to a harder spectrum than predicted by the model.

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 GRS1915+105: a comparison of the plateau state to the canonical hard state

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S275) ◽  
pp. 294-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter van Oers ◽  
Sera Markoff
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Plateau State ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractGRS 1915+105 is a very peculiar black hole binary that exhibits accretion-related states that are not observed in any other stellar-mass black hole system. One of these states, however – referred to as the plateau state – may be related to the canonical hard state of black hole X-ray binaries. Both the plateau and hard state are associated with steady, relatively lower X-ray emission and flat/inverted radio emission, that is sometimes resolved into compact, self-absorbed jets. To investigate the relationship between the plateau and the hard state, we fit two multi-wavelength observations using a steady-state outflow-dominated model, developed for hard state black hole binaries. The data sets consist of quasi-simultaneous observations in radio, near-infrared and X-ray bands. Interestingly, we find both significant differences between the two plateau states, as well as between the best-fit model parameters and those representative of the hard state. We discuss our interpretation of these results, and the possible implications for GRS 1915+105's relationship to canonical black hole candidates.

scholarly journals An additional soft X-ray component in the dim low/hard state of black hole binaries

2010 ◽  
Vol 403 (3) ◽  
pp. 1102-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Y. Chiang ◽  
Chris Done ◽  
M. Still ◽  
O. Godet
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Hard State

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 On the nature of the soft γ-ray emission in the hard state of the black hole transient GRS 1716−249

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 571-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Bassi ◽  
J Malzac ◽  
M Del Santo ◽  
E Jourdain ◽  
J-P Roques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Energy Distribution ◽  
Spectral Energy Distribution ◽  
Spectral Component ◽  
Coronal Magnetic Field ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Emission Model ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Γ Ray

ABSTRACT The black hole transient GRS 1716−249 was monitored from the radio to the γ-ray band during its 2016–2017 outburst. This paper focuses on the spectral energy distribution (SED) obtained in 2017 February–March, when GRS 1716−249 was in a bright hard spectral state. The soft γ-ray data collected with the INTEGRAL/SPI telescope show the presence of a spectral component that is in excess of the thermal Comptonization emission. This component is usually interpreted as inverse Compton emission from a tiny fraction of non-thermal electrons in the X-ray corona. We find that hybrid thermal/non-thermal Comptonization models provide a good fit to the X-/γ-ray spectrum of GRS 1716−249. The best-fitting parameters are typical of the bright hard state spectra observed in other black hole X-ray binaries. Moreover, the magnetized hybrid Comptonization model belm provides an upper limit on the intensity of the coronal magnetic field of about 106 G. Alternatively, this soft γ-ray emission could originate from synchrotron emission in the radio jet. In order to test this hypothesis, we fit the SED with the irradiated disc plus Comptonization model combined with the jet internal shock emission model ishem. We found that a jet with an electron distribution of p ≃ 2.1 can reproduce the soft γ-ray emission of GRS 1716−249. However, if we introduce the expected cooling break around 10 keV, the jet model can no longer explain the observed soft γ-ray emission, unless the index of the electron energy distribution is significantly harder (p < 2).

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