Evidence for Frame-Dragging Around Spinning Black Holes in X-Ray Binaries

Abstract

In the context of black hole spin in X-ray binaries, we propose that certain type of quasi-period oscillations (QPOs) observed in the light curves of black hole binaries (BHBs) are produced by X-ray modulation at the precession frequency of accretion disks, due to relativistic dragging of inertial frames around spinning black holes. These QPOs tend to be relatively stable in their centroid frequencies. They have been observed in the frequency range of a few to a few hundred Hz for several black holes with dynamically determined masses. By comparing the computed disk precession frequency with that of the observed QPO, we can derive the black hole angular momentum, given its mass. When applying this model to GRO J1655-40, GRS 1915+105, Cyg X-1, and GS 1124-68, we found that the black holes in GRO J1655-40 and GRS 1915+105, the only known BHBs that occasionally produce superluminal radio jets, spin at a rate close to the maximum limit, while Cyg X-1 and GS 1124-68, typical (persistent and transient) BHBs, contain only moderately rotating ones. Extending the model to the general population of black hole candidates, the fact that only low-frequency QPOs have been detected is consistent with the presence of only slowly spinning black holes in these systems. Our results are in good agreement with those derived from spectral data, thus strongly support the classification scheme that we proposed previously for BHBs.