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 Accretion-outflow connection in the outliers of the “universal” radio/X-ray correlation

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S275) ◽  
pp. 255-259
Author(s):  
M. Coriat ◽  
S. Corbel ◽  
L. Prat ◽  
J. C. A. Miller-Jones ◽  
D. Cseh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Compact Objects ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Candidate ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Hard State ◽  
Universal Correlation ◽  
X Ray Binaries

AbstractIn recent years, numerous efforts have been devoted to unravel the connection between accretion flow and jets in accreting compact objects. Here we report new constraints on these issues, through the long term study of the radio and X-ray behaviour of the black hole candidate H 1743–322. This source is known to be one of the “outliers” of the universal radio/X-ray correlation, i.e. a group of stellar mass accreting black holes displaying fainter radio emission for a given X-ray luminosity, than expected from the correlation. In this work we find, at high X-ray luminosity in the hard state, a tight radio/X-ray correlation with an unusual steep slope of b = 1.38 ± 0.03. This correlation then breaks below ~5 × 10−3LEdd (M/10M⊙)−1 in X-rays and becomes shallower. When compared with radio/X-ray data from other black hole X-ray binaries, we see that the deviant points of H 1743–322 join the universal correlation and seem to follow it at low luminosity. Based on these results, we investigate several hypotheses that could explain both the b ~ 1.4 slope and the transition toward the universal correlation.

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 Long-term variability of Swift J1753.5−0127: X-ray spectral–temporal correlations during state transitions

2019 ◽  
Vol 487 (1) ◽  
pp. 1439-1446
Author(s):  
Qingcui Bu ◽  
Lian Tao ◽  
Yu Lu ◽  
Shuangnan Zhang ◽  
Liang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Intermediate State ◽  
State Transition ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Periodic Oscillation ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hard State

ABSTRACT We studied the long-term evolution of the spectral–temporal correlated properties of the black hole candidate Swift J1753.5−0127 from the onset of its outburst until 2011 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The source stayed most of its lifetime during hard state, with occasionally transitioned to the hard intermediate state. Similar to typical black hole transients, Swift J1753.5−0127 traces a clear hard line in absolute rms–intensity diagram during the low hard state, with expected highest absolute rms, while shows a clear turn during the hard intermediate state, accompanied by lower absolute rms. Different from Cyg X-1, we found that frequency-dependent time lag increased significantly in the 0.02–3.2 Hz band during state transition in this source. The X-ray time lags in 0.02–3.2 Hz can therefore be used as indicators of state transition in this source. Type-C quasi-periodic oscillation frequency is positively related with its fractional rms and X-ray photon index, suggesting a moving inwards disc/corona scenario. We discussed the physical interpretation of our results in this paper.

scholarly journals A minimal timescale for the continuum in 4U 1608-52 and Aql X-1

2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (1) ◽  
pp. L72-L78
Author(s):  
K Mohamed ◽  
E Sonbas ◽  
K S Dhuga ◽  
E Göğüş ◽  
A Tuncer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Light Curves ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
The Continuum

ABSTRACT Similar to black hole X-ray binary transients, hysteresis-like state transitions are also seen in some neutron-star X-ray binaries. Using a method based on wavelets and light curves constructed from archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations, we extract a minimal timescale over the complete range of transitions for 4U 1608-52 during the 2002 and 2007 outbursts and the 1999 and 2000 outbursts for Aql X-1. We present evidence for a strong positive correlation between this minimal timescale and a similar timescale extracted from the corresponding power spectra of these sources.

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 Recent Ginga Results on Galactic X-Ray Binaries

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 211-215
Author(s):  
Y. Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Black Hole ◽  
Related Problem ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Field Decay ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Black Hole Candidates

AbstractBased on the recent Ginga results, following topics on X-ray binaries are briefly discussed: The cyclotron resonnance features observed from several X-ray pulsars, and related problem of the magnetic field decay. Search for millisec. pulsations from LMXRBs. Very bright transients which are suspected to be new black hole candidates, and an estimation of the number of such black hole sources in our galaxy.

scholarly journals Tracing Black Hole Signatures in Several Black Hole Candidates Based on Their X-Ray Spectral Evolution

2020 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 04001
Author(s):  
Fahmi Iman Alfarizki ◽  
Kiki Vierdayanti
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
Spectral Evolution ◽  
Thermal Component ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Black Hole Candidate ◽  
Spectral Fitting ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Transient System ◽  
Black Hole Candidates

Investigation of spectral evolution of four black hole candidates was carried out by using color-color diagram as well as spectral fitting on Swift/XRT data. Newly found candidates, which are classified as low-mass X-ray binary system based on their transient nature, are the focus of our work. We compare their spectral evolutions to that of XTE J1752-223, a transient system and a more convincing black hole candidate whose mass has been determined from spectral-timing correlation scaling. In addition, comparison to Cygnus X-1, a well-known stellar-mass black hole, was done despite its persistent nature. The spectral fitting, by using a combination of thermal disk and non-thermal component model, results in the innermost temperature values in the range of the typical innermost temperature of black hole binary which is 0.7 – 1.5 keV. The spectral evolutions of the candidates bear a resemblance to both Cygnus X-1 and XTE J1752-223. We note that during Swift/XRT observations, the spectra of Cygnus X-1 and IGR J17451-3022 are mostly dominated by the non- thermal component. We conclude that the compact object of MAXI J1535- 571 and MAXI J1828-249 is highly likely to be a black hole. However, the lack of data rendered conclusive result impossible for IGR J17454-2919.

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