Magnetic flares and the optical variability of the X-ray transient XTE J1118+480

Abstract

The simultaneous presence of a strong quasi periodic oscillation of period of about 10 seconds in the optical and X-ray lightcurves of the X-ray transient XTE J1118+480 suggests that a significant fraction of the optical flux originates from the inner part of the accretion flow, where most of the X-rays are produced. We present a model of magnetic flares in an accretion disc corona where thermal cyclo-synchrotron emission contributes significantly to the optical emission, while the X-rays are produced by inverse Compton scattering of the soft photons produced by dissipation in the underlying disc and by the synchrotron process itself. Given the observational constraints, we estimate the values for the coronal temperature, optical depth and magnetic field intensity, as well as the accretion rate for the source. Within our model we predict a correlation between optical and hard X-ray variability and an anticorrelation between optical and soft X-rays. We also expect optical variability on flaring timescales (about tens of milliseconds), with a power density spectrum similar to the one observed in the X-ray band. Finally we use both the available optical/EUV/X-ray spectral energy distribution and the low frequency time variability to discuss limits on the inner radius of the optically thick disc.