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arXiv · 1402.0148

The Low-Spin Black Hole in LMC X-3

James F. Steiner·Jeffrey E. McClintock·Jerome A. Orosz·Ronald A. Remillard·Charles D. Bailyn·Mari Kolehmainen·Odele Straub
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Abstract

Building upon a new dynamical model for the X-ray binary LMC X-3, we measure the spin of its black hole primary via the continuum-fitting method. We consider over one thousand thermal-state RXTE X-ray spectra of LMC X-3. Using a large subset of these spectra, we constrain the spin parameter of the black hole to be spin = 0.21(+0.18,-0.22), 90% confidence. Our estimate of the uncertainty in spin takes into account a wide range of systematic errors. We discuss evidence for a correlation between a black hole's spin and the complexity of its X-ray spectrum.

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James F. Steiner, Jeffrey E. McClintock, Jerome A. Orosz, Ronald A. Remillard, Charles D. Bailyn, Mari Kolehmainen, Odele Straub. 2014-02-02. The Low-Spin Black Hole in LMC X-3. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/793/2/l29

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