Edward M. Cackett

Wayne State University

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J. M. Mïller

University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

134

A. C. Fabian

University of Cambridge

Erin Kara

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

K. Horne

University of St Andrews

J. Homan

Eureka Scientific

R. Wijnands

University of Amsterdam

M. R. Goad

University of Leicester

J. M. Gelbord

Spectral Sciences (United States)

N. Degenaar

University of Amsterdam

P. Uttley

University of Amsterdam

Cooperative Institutions

National Institute for Astrophysics

332

University of Amsterdam

168

University of Geneva

146

Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology

146

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

131

Swiss Institute of Comparative Law

126

SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

123

Goddard Space Flight Center

121

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

113

Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian

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A REVERBERATION-BASED BLACK HOLE MASS FOR MCG-06-30-15

The Astrophysical Journal (2016)

Misty C. Bentz Edward M. Cackett D. M. Crenshaw K. Horne R. A. Street

We present the results of a reverberation campaign targeting MGC-06-30-15. Spectrophotometric monitoring and broad-band photometric monitoring over the course of 4 months in the spring of 2012 allowed a determination of a time delay in the broad H$β$ emission line of $τ=5.3\pm1.8$ days in the rest frame of the AGN. Combined with the width of the variable portion of the emission line, we determine a black hole mass of $M_{\rm BH} = (1.6 \pm 0.4) \times 10^6$ M$_{\odot}$. Both the H$β$ time delay and the black hole mass are in good agreement with expectations from the $R_{\rm BLR}$-$L$ and $M_{\rm BH}-σ_{\star}$ relationships for other reverberation-mapped AGNs. The H$β$ time delay is also in good agreement with the relationship between H$β$ and broad-band near-IR delays, in which the effective BLR size is $\sim 4-5$ times smaller than the inner edge of the dust torus. Additionally, the reverberation-based mass is in good agreement with estimates from the X-ray power spectral density break scaling relationship, and with constraints based on stellar kinematics derived from integral field spectroscopy of the inner $\sim 0.5$ kpc of the galaxy.

Reverberation mapping

Black hole (networking)

Line (geometry)

10.3847/0004-637x/830/2/136

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Citations (50)

The NICER “Reverberation Machine”: A Systematic Study of Time Lags in Black Hole X-Ray Binaries

The Astrophysical Journal (2022)

Jingyi Wang Erin Kara Matteo Lucchini Adam Ingram M. van der Klis

Abstract We perform the first systematic search of all NICER archival observations of black hole (and candidate) low-mass X-ray binaries for signatures of reverberation. Reverberation lags result from the light travel time difference between the direct coronal emission and the reflected disk component, and therefore their properties are a useful probe of the disk-corona geometry. We detect new signatures of reverberation lags in eight sources, increasing the total sample from three to 11, and study the evolution of reverberation lag properties as the sources evolve in outbursts. We find that in all of the nine sources with more than one reverberation lag detection, the reverberation lags become longer and dominate at lower Fourier frequencies during the hard-to-soft state transition. This result shows that the evolution in reverberation lags is a global property of the state transitions of black hole low-mass X-ray binaries, which is valuable in constraining models of such state transitions. The reverberation lag evolution suggests that the corona is the base of a jet that vertically expands and/or gets ejected during state transition. We also discover that in the hard state, the reverberation lags get shorter, just as the quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) move to higher frequencies, but then in the state transition, while the QPOs continue to higher frequencies, the lags get longer. We discuss the implications of the coronal geometry and physical models of QPOs in light of this new finding.

Black hole (networking)

Reverberation mapping

Corona (planetary geology)

10.3847/1538-4357/ac6262

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Citations (40)

Spotting the birth of compact objects using X-ray timing of fast-rising transients

HEAD (2019)

Dheeraj R. Pasham Ronald A. Remillard Keith C. Gendreau Zaven Arzoumanian Tod E. Strohmayer

Spotting

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The Black Hole Candidate Swift J1728.9$-$3613 and the Supernova Remnant G351.9$-$0.9

arXiv (Cornell University) (2023)

M. Balakrishnan Paul A. Draghis J. M. Mïller Joe Bright R. P. Fender

A number of neutron stars have been observed within the remnants of the core-collapse supernova explosions that created them. In contrast, black holes are not yet clearly associated with supernova remnants. Indeed, some observations suggest that black holes are ``born in the dark'', i.e. without a supernova explosion. Herein, we present a multi-wavelength analysis of the X-ray transient Swift J1728.9$-$3613, based on observations made with Chandra, ESO-VISTA, MeerKAT, NICER, NuSTAR, Swift, and XMM-Newton. Three independent diagnostics indicate that the system likely harbors a black hole primary. Infrared imaging signals a massive companion star that is broadly consistent with an A or B spectral type. Most importantly, the X-ray binary lies within the central region of the catalogued supernova remnant G351.9$-$0.9. Our deep MeerKAT image at 1.28~GHz signals that the remnant is in the Sedov phase; this fact and the non-detection of the soft X-ray emission expected from such a remnant argue that it lies at a distance that could coincide with the black hole. Utilizing a formal measurement of the distance to Swift J1728.9$-$3613 ($d = 8.4\pm 0.8$ kpc), a lower limit on the distance to G351.9$-$0.9 ($d \geq 7.5$ kpc), and the number and distribution of black holes and supernova remnants within the Milky Way, extensive simulations suggest that the probability of a chance superposition is $<1.7\%$ ($99.7\%$ credible interval). The discovery of a black hole within a supernova remnant would support numerical simulations that produce black holes and remnants, and thus provide clear observational evidence of distinct black hole formation channels. We discuss the robustness of our analysis and some challenges to this interpretation.

Black hole (networking)

10.48550/arxiv.2303.04159

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Citations (0)

The Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT)

Experimental Astronomy (2011)

M. Feroci L. Stella M. van der Klis T. J. L. Courvoisier M. Hernanz

Spectral resolution

10.1007/s10686-011-9237-2

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Citations (195)

On the Origin of Broad Iron Lines in Neutron Star Low-mass X-ray Binaries

arXiv (Cornell University) (2015)

Chia-Ying Chiang Edward M. Cackett J. M. Mïller D. Barret Andy Fabián

Broad Fe K emission lines have been widely observed in the X-ray spectra of black hole systems, and in neutron star systems as well. The intrinsically narrow Fe K fluorescent line is generally believed to be part of the reflection spectrum originating in an illuminated accretion disk, and broadened by strong relativistic effects. However, the nature of the lines in neutron star LMXBs has been under debate. We therefore obtained the longest, high-resolution X-ray spectrum of a neutron star LMXB to date with a 300 ks Chandra HETGS observation of Serpens X-1. The observation was taken under the continuous clocking mode and thus free of photon pile-up effects. We carry out a systematic analysis and find that the blurred reflection model fits the Fe line of Serpens X-1 significantly better than a broad Gaussian component does, implying that the relativistic reflection scenario is much preferred. Chandra HETGS also provides highest spectral resolution view of the Fe K region and we find no strong evidence for additional narrow lines.

Serpens

Reflection

Line (geometry)

X-ray binary

Accretion disc

Low Mass

Symbiotic star

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Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR Observations of the Ultracompact X-Ray Binary 4U 0614+091

The Astrophysical Journal (2023)

David Moutard R. M. Ludlam Javier A. García D. Altamirano D J K Buisson

Abstract We present the first joint NuSTAR and NICER observations of the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091. This source shows quasiperiodic flux variations on the timescale of ∼days. We use reflection modeling techniques to study various components of the accretion system as the flux varies. We find that the flux of the reflected emission and the thermal components representing the disk and the compact object trend closely with the overall flux. However, the flux of the power-law component representing the illuminating X-ray corona scales in the opposite direction, increasing as the total flux decreases. During the lowest flux observation, we see evidence of accretion disk truncation from roughly 6 gravitational radii to 11.5 gravitational radii. This is potentially analogous to the truncation seen in black hole low-mass X-ray binaries, which tends to occur during the low/hard state at sufficiently low Eddington ratios.

X-ray binary

Black hole (networking)

10.3847/1538-4357/acf4f3

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Citations (5)

Exploring the physics of neutron stars with high-resolution, high-throughput X-ray spectroscopy

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society (2019)

Jeremy Heyl Ilaria Caiazzo Samar Safí-Harb C. O. Heinke Sharon M. Morsink

Combining TES detectors with collector optics will also us to study neutron stars in much greater detail by achieving high-energy resolution (1 eV) with much larger collecting areas to uncover even weak spectral features over a wide range of the photon energies. Perhaps we will finally be able to study neutron stars like stars.

Spectral resolution

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REAPPROACHING THE SPIN ESTIMATE OF GX 339-4

The Astrophysical Journal (2015)

R. M. Ludlam J. M. Mïller Edward M. Cackett

We systematically reanalyze two previous observations of the black hole (BH) GX 339-4 in the very high and intermediate state taken with XMM-Newton and Suzaku. We utilize up-to-date data reduction procedures and implement the recently developed, self-consistent model for X-ray reflection and relativistic ray tracing, relxill. In the very high and intermediate state, the rate of accretion is high and thus the disk remains close to the innermost stable circular orbit. We require a common spin parameter and inclination when fitting the two observations since these parameters should remain constant across all states. This allows for the most accurate determination of the spin parameter of this galactic BH binary from fitting the Fe Kα emission line and provides a chance to test previous estimates. We find GX 339-4 to be consistent with a near maximally spinning BH with a spin parameter with an inclination of 36° ± 4°. This spin value is consistent with previous high estimates for this object. Further, if the inner disk is aligned with the binary inclination, this modest inclination returns a high BH mass, but they need not be aligned. Additionally, we explore how the spin is correlated with the power of the jet emitted but find no correlation between the two.

Accretion disc

Black hole (networking)

Circular orbit

10.1088/0004-637x/806/2/262

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Citations (33)

Swift Observations of Rapid X-ray Flux Variations in V4641 Sgr

ATel (2007)

Edward M. Cackett J. M. Mïller

Swift

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Citations (1)