The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze

Among the various issues that remain open in the field of accretion onto black hole X-ray binaries (BHBs) is the question of how gas accretes at very low Eddington ratios, in the so-called quiescent regime. While there is general agreement that X-rays are produced by a population of high-energy elec...

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Authors: Gallo, Elena, Migliari, Simone, Markoff, Sera, Tomsick, John A., Bailyn, Charles D., Berta, Stefano, Fender, R. P., Miller-Jones, James C. A.
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2007
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/99547
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/99547
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Estels binaris de raigs X
Forats negres (Astronomia)
Estels
Radioastronomia
X-ray binaries
Black holes (Astronomy)
Stars
Radio astronomy
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spelling The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from SpitzeGallo, ElenaMigliari, SimoneMarkoff, SeraTomsick, John A.Bailyn, Charles D.Berta, StefanoFender, R. P.Miller-Jones, James C. A.Estels binaris de raigs XForats negres (Astronomia)EstelsRadioastronomiaX-ray binariesBlack holes (Astronomy)StarsRadio astronomyAmong the various issues that remain open in the field of accretion onto black hole X-ray binaries (BHBs) is the question of how gas accretes at very low Eddington ratios, in the so-called quiescent regime. While there is general agreement that X-rays are produced by a population of high-energy electrons near the BH, there is controversy concerning the modeling of the contributions of inflowing versus outflowing particles and their relative energy budget. Recent Spitzer observations of three quiescent BHBs have shown evidence for excess emission with respect to the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of the companion star between 8-24 μm. We suggest that synchrotron emission from a partially self-absorbed outflow might be responsible for the observed mid-IR excess, in place of, or in addition to, thermal emission from circumbinary material. If so, then the jet synchrotron luminosity, integrated from radio to near-IR frequencies, exceeds the measured 2-10 keV luminosity by a factor of a few in these systems. In turn, the mechanical power stored in the jet exceeds the bolometric X-ray luminosity by at least 4 orders of magnitude. We compile the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of A0620-00, the lowest Eddington-ratio stellar mass BH with a known radio counterpart, by means of simultaneous radio, optical, and X-ray observations, and the archival Spitzer data. We are able to fit the SED of A0620-00 with a maximally jet-dominated model, in which the radio through the soft X-rays are dominated by synchrotron emission, while the hard X-rays are dominated by inverse Compton at the jet base. The fitted parameters land in a range of values reminiscent of the Galactic center supermassive black hole Sgr A*. Most notably, the inferred ratio of the jet acceleration rate to local cooling rates is 2 orders of magnitude weaker than higher luminosity, hard-state sources.Institute of Physics (IOP)2016201620072016info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion10 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/99547Articles publicats en revistes (Física Quàntica i Astrofísica)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/521524Astrophysical Journal, 2007, vol. 670, num. 1, p. 600-609http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/521524(c) American Astronomical Society, 2007info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/995472026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
title The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
spellingShingle The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
Gallo, Elena
Estels binaris de raigs X
Forats negres (Astronomia)
Estels
Radioastronomia
X-ray binaries
Black holes (Astronomy)
Stars
Radio astronomy
title_short The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
title_full The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
title_fullStr The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
title_full_unstemmed The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
title_sort The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitze
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Gallo, Elena
Migliari, Simone
Markoff, Sera
Tomsick, John A.
Bailyn, Charles D.
Berta, Stefano
Fender, R. P.
Miller-Jones, James C. A.
author Gallo, Elena
author_facet Gallo, Elena
Migliari, Simone
Markoff, Sera
Tomsick, John A.
Bailyn, Charles D.
Berta, Stefano
Fender, R. P.
Miller-Jones, James C. A.
author_role author
author2 Migliari, Simone
Markoff, Sera
Tomsick, John A.
Bailyn, Charles D.
Berta, Stefano
Fender, R. P.
Miller-Jones, James C. A.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Estels binaris de raigs X
Forats negres (Astronomia)
Estels
Radioastronomia
X-ray binaries
Black holes (Astronomy)
Stars
Radio astronomy
topic Estels binaris de raigs X
Forats negres (Astronomia)
Estels
Radioastronomia
X-ray binaries
Black holes (Astronomy)
Stars
Radio astronomy
description Among the various issues that remain open in the field of accretion onto black hole X-ray binaries (BHBs) is the question of how gas accretes at very low Eddington ratios, in the so-called quiescent regime. While there is general agreement that X-rays are produced by a population of high-energy electrons near the BH, there is controversy concerning the modeling of the contributions of inflowing versus outflowing particles and their relative energy budget. Recent Spitzer observations of three quiescent BHBs have shown evidence for excess emission with respect to the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of the companion star between 8-24 μm. We suggest that synchrotron emission from a partially self-absorbed outflow might be responsible for the observed mid-IR excess, in place of, or in addition to, thermal emission from circumbinary material. If so, then the jet synchrotron luminosity, integrated from radio to near-IR frequencies, exceeds the measured 2-10 keV luminosity by a factor of a few in these systems. In turn, the mechanical power stored in the jet exceeds the bolometric X-ray luminosity by at least 4 orders of magnitude. We compile the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of A0620-00, the lowest Eddington-ratio stellar mass BH with a known radio counterpart, by means of simultaneous radio, optical, and X-ray observations, and the archival Spitzer data. We are able to fit the SED of A0620-00 with a maximally jet-dominated model, in which the radio through the soft X-rays are dominated by synchrotron emission, while the hard X-rays are dominated by inverse Compton at the jet base. The fitted parameters land in a range of values reminiscent of the Galactic center supermassive black hole Sgr A*. Most notably, the inferred ratio of the jet acceleration rate to local cooling rates is 2 orders of magnitude weaker than higher luminosity, hard-state sources.
publishDate 2007
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2007
2016
2016
2016
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/99547
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/99547
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/521524
Astrophysical Journal, 2007, vol. 670, num. 1, p. 600-609
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/521524
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv (c) American Astronomical Society, 2007
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv (c) American Astronomical Society, 2007
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 10 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Institute of Physics (IOP)
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Institute of Physics (IOP)
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Física Quàntica i Astrofísica)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,81155

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