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Maria Diaz Trigo

Publications and source records attributed to Maria Diaz Trigo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chemical enrichment of the Perseus cluster core seen by XRISM/Resolve

The intracluster medium (ICM) is rich in chemical elements, produced by core-collapse (SNcc) and Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) over the last $\sim$12 Gyr. Whereas cluster outskirts are uniformly enriched with Fe at $\sim$0.3 solar - strongly suggesting that the gas had been pre-enriched during or before the assembly of galaxies into clusters, the Fe abundance is known to centrally increase in the core of relaxed clusters. The origin of these central Fe peaks however, as well as the apparent presence of mysterious drops previously reported in the very centre of a number of systems, remain to be clarified. In this paper, we address these two questions by measuring the spatial distribution of Fe and its relative Si/Fe, S/Fe, Ar/Fe, Ca/Fe, Cr/Fe, Mn/Fe, and Ni/Fe ratios in the X-ray bright, nearby Perseus cluster. We take advantage of the unprecedented spectral resolution ($\sim$5 eV) offered by the Resolve microcalorimeter on board XRISM, which observed four distinct pointings of Perseus out to $\sim$250 kpc ($\sim$0.2$r_{500}$) during its Performance Verification phase. Although the presence of an X-ray bright AGN challenges a precise quantification of absolute abundances in the very core, our baseline analysis rules out a strong drop with $>$2$σ$ confidence, at variance with previous CCD measurements. In addition, we find a remarkable spatial uniformity of X/Fe ratios, supporting the idea of negligible late SNIa enrichment from the brightest cluster galaxy NGC 1275. We also compare the overall chemical composition of the Perseus ICM with SNcc and SNIa nucleosynthesis yield models, finding that the co-existence of two separate SNIa enrichment channels is not needed to reproduce the ICM ratios satisfactorily.

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High Spectral Resolution X-ray Observations of the Evolved Supermassive Stellar Binary System $η$ Carinae - Iron K$α$ Band Profile Revealed with XRISM

The supermassive binary system, $η$ Carinae, is experiencing enormous wind-driven mass loss at a rate unparalleled in the rest of the Galaxy. Their wind-wind collision (WWC) continuously produces shock heated, X-ray emitting plasmas. The XRISM X-ray observatory observed the system in 2023 and 2024 when the X-ray emission began to increase toward periastron passage in 2025. This manuscript reports unprecedentedly high-resolution X-ray spectra in the iron K$α$ band between 6.2 and 7.1 keV, obtained with the Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter. The hydrogen-like (Ly$α$) and helium-like (He$α$) lines reveal three velocity components. Two of them are broadened with maximum velocities of 2000-3000 km/s, likely originating from the post-shock companion wind. The other is relatively narrow, with a Gaussian broadening of only ~290 km/s in 1 sigma, which may originate from the post-shock companion wind at the WWC stagnation point or penetrating the primary wind. The iron fluorescent lines exhibit a moderate blueshift and broadening with velocities at 100-200 km/s, consistent with the primary wind's velocity field. The spectra also confirm a Compton shoulder of the He$α$ line complex for the first time. Both fluorescing and scattering spectral profiles indicate that the binary system is seen from the companion side during these observations. The flux ratio of the Compton scattering emission to the fluorescent line suggests substantial hydrogen depletion of the primary wind, expected from CNO-cycled hydrogen nuclear fusion gas.

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Disentangling Multiple Gas Kinematic Drivers in the Perseus Galaxy Cluster

Galaxy clusters, the Universe's largest halo structures, are filled with 10-100 million degree X-ray-emitting gas. Their evolution is shaped by energetic processes such as feedback from supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and mergers with other cosmic structures. The imprints of these processes on gas kinematic properties remain largely unknown, restricting our understanding of gas thermodynamics and energy conversion within clusters. High-resolution spectral mapping across a broad spatial-scale range provides a promising solution to this challenge, enabled by the recent launch of the XRISM X-ray Observatory. Here, we present the kinematic measurements of the X-ray-brightest Perseus cluster with XRISM, radially covering the extent of its cool core. We find direct evidence for the presence of at least two dominant drivers of gas motions operating on distinct physical scales: a small-scale driver in the inner ~60 kpc, likely associated with the SMBH feedback; and a large-scale driver in the outer core, powered by mergers. The inner driver sustains a heating rate at least an order of magnitude higher than the outer one. This finding suggests that, during the active phase, the SMBH feedback generates turbulence, which, if fully dissipated into heat, could play a significant role in offsetting radiative cooling losses in the Perseus core. Our study underscores the necessity of kinematic mapping observations of extended sources for robust conclusions on the properties of the velocity field and their role in the assembly and evolution of massive halos. It further offers a kinematic diagnostic for theoretical models of SMBH feedback.

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XRISM constraints on unidentified X-ray emission lines, including the 3.5 keV line, in the stacked spectrum of ten galaxy clusters

We stack 3.75 Megaseconds of early XRISM Resolve observations of ten galaxy clusters to search for unidentified spectral lines in the $E=$ 2.5-15 keV band (rest frame), including the $E=3.5$ keV line reported in earlier, low spectral resolution studies of cluster samples. Such an emission line may originate from the decay of the sterile neutrino, a warm dark matter (DM) candidate. No unidentified lines are detected in our stacked cluster spectrum, with the $3σ$ upper limit on the $m_{\rm s}\sim$ 7.1 keV DM particle decay rate (which corresponds to a $E=3.55$ keV emission line) of $Γ\sim 1.0 \times 10^{-27}$ s$^{-1}$. This upper limit is 3-4 times lower than the one derived by Hitomi Collaboration et al. (2017) from the Perseus observation, but still 5 times higher than the XMM-Newton detection reported by Bulbul et al. (2014) in the stacked cluster sample. XRISM Resolve, with its high spectral resolution but a small field of view, may reach the sensitivity needed to test the XMM-Newton cluster sample detection by combining several years worth of future cluster observations.

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An XMM long look at the accretion disk plasma in the dipping neutron star LMXB 4U1624-490

Dipping neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs) are systems that exhibit periodic drops in their X-ray light curves. These are believed to be caused by material at the impact point of the gas stream onto the accretion disk, the bulge. Dipping systems are observed at high inclination and provide exceptional opportunities to address important open questions about accretion disks, such as the physical properties of the bulge, and the connection between disk atmospheres and disk winds. We aimed to characterize the accretion disk plasmas present in the 21h-period NS LMXB 4U 1624-490, and perform a detailed spectral analysis of the material present at the impact region. We used four XMM EPIC pn observations that were specifically targeting dips, and allow us to probe dipping activity over different timescales (i.e. consecutive orbits and $\sim$6 months). We use both time- and flux-resolved spectroscopic analysis to probe the structural properties of the bulge moving along the line of sight and its homogeneity, respectively. During dipping, the primary spectrum is modulated by an ionized (log$ξ\sim$ 3.4) absorber with varying column density and covering factor, as well as a colder absorber. This suggests that the bulge is a multiphase and clumpy absorbing medium. From size scale arguments, we estimate the number of clumps in the bulge to be $>$7$\times10^{3}$. A highly ionized disk atmosphere becomes evident only when different phases of absorption are analyzed individually. This work demonstrates the feasibility of constructing a physical picture of the bulge, and highlights how future research could reveal how its properties depend on system parameters, and whether the bulge could influence the dynamics of the accretion disk.

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Fe XVIII-XXIV K beta Inner-shell Absorption Lines in the X-ray Spectra of Neutron Star and Black Hole Binaries with XRISM

The advent of the X-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer Resolve onboard the XRISM space telescope opened a new era for high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of astrophysical plasmas. Many spectral features were newly detected, including the K alpha and K beta inner-shell transition lines of mildly ionized (F- to Li-like) Fe at 6-8 keV in the spectra of X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei. The widely used atomic databases contain information on the K alpha but not K beta lines of these ions. We conducted the atomic structure calculation using FAC to derive the Fe K alpha and K beta lines and verified the result against ground experiments and other calculations of the Fe K alpha lines. We then implemented the Fe K beta lines in a radiative transfer code (cloudy) and compared the synthesized and observed spectra with XRISM. A reasonably good agreement was obtained between the observation and the ab initio calculations. This exemplifies the need to expand the atomic databases to interpret astrophysical spectra.

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Comparing XRISM cluster velocity dispersions with predictions from cosmological simulations: are feedback models too ejective?

The dynamics of the intra-cluster medium (ICM), the hot plasma that fills galaxy clusters, are shaped by gravity-driven cluster mergers and feedback from supermassive black holes (SMBH) in the cluster cores. XRISM measurements of ICM velocities in several clusters offer insights into these processes. We compare XRISM measurements for nine galaxy clusters (Virgo, Perseus, Centaurus, Hydra A, PKS\,0745--19, A2029, Coma, A2319, Ophiuchus) with predictions from three state-of-the-art cosmological simulation suites, TNG-Cluster, The Three Hundred Project GADGET-X, and GIZMO-SIMBA, that employ different models of feedback. In cool cores, XRISM reveals systematically lower velocity dispersions than the simulations predict, with all ten measurements below the median simulated values by a factor $1.5-1.7$ on average and all falling within the bottom $10\%$ of the predicted distributions. The observed kinetic-to-total pressure ratio is also lower, with a median value of $2.2\%$, compared to the predicted $5.0-6.5\%$ for the three simulations. Outside the cool cores and in non-cool-core clusters, simulations show better agreement with XRISM measurements, except for the outskirts of the relaxed, cool-core cluster A2029, which exhibits an exceptionally low kinetic pressure support ($<1\%$), with none of the simulated systems in either of the three suites reaching such low levels. The non-cool-core Coma and A2319 exhibit dispersions at the lower end but within the simulated spread. Our comparison suggests that the three numerical models may overestimate the kinetic effects of SMBH feedback in cluster cores. Additional XRISM observations of non-cool-core clusters will clarify if there is a systematic tension in the gravity-dominated regime as well.

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Stratified wind from a super-Eddington X-ray binary is slower than expected

Accretion discs in strong gravity ubiquitously produce winds, seen as blueshifted absorption lines in the X-ray band of both stellar mass X-ray binaries (black holes and neutron stars), and supermassive black holes. Some of the most powerful winds (termed Eddington winds) are expected to arise from systems where radiation pressure is sufficient to unbind material from the inner disc ($L\gtrsim L_{\rm Edd}$). These winds should be extremely fast and carry a large amount of kinetic power, which, when associated with supermassive black holes, would make them a prime contender for the feedback mechanism linking the growth of those black holes with their host galaxies. Here we show the XRISM Resolve spectrum of the Galactic neutron star X-ray binary, GX 13+1, which reveals one of the densest winds ever seen in absorption lines. This Compton-thick wind significantly attenuates the flux, making it appear faint, although it is intrinsically more luminous than usual ($L\gtrsim L_{\rm Edd}$). However, the wind is extremely slow, more consistent with the predictions of thermal-radiative winds launched by X-ray irradiation of the outer disc, than with the expected Eddington wind driven by radiation pressure from the inner disc. This puts new constraints on the origin of winds from bright accretion flows in binaries, but also highlights the very different origin required for the ultrafast ($v\sim 0.3c$) winds seen in recent Resolve observations of a supermassive black hole at similarly high Eddington ratio.

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XRISM/Resolve View of Abell 2319: Turbulence, Sloshing, and ICM Dynamics

We present results from XRISM/Resolve observations of the core of the galaxy cluster Abell 2319, focusing on its kinematic properties. The intracluster medium (ICM) exhibits temperatures of approximately 8 keV across the core, with a prominent cold front and a high-temperature region ($\sim$11 keV) in the northwest. The average gas velocity in the 3 arcmin $\times$ 4 arcmin region around the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) covered by two Resolve pointings is consistent with that of the BCG to within 40 km s$^{-1}$ and we found modest average velocity dispersion of 230-250 km s$^{-1}$. On the other hand, spatially-resolved spectroscopy reveals interesting variations. A blueshift of up to $\sim$230 km s$^{-1}$ is observed around the east edge of the cold front, where the gas with the lowest specific entropy is found. The region further south inside the cold front shows only a small velocity difference from the BCG; however, its velocity dispersion is enhanced to 400 km s$^{-1}$, implying the development of turbulence. These characteristics indicate that we are observing sloshing motion with some inclination angle following BCG and that gas phases with different specific entropy participate in sloshing with their own velocities, as expected from simulations. No significant evidence for a high-redshift ICM component associated with the subcluster Abell 2319B was found in the region covered by the current Resolve pointings. These results highlight the importance of sloshing and turbulence in shaping the internal structure of Abell 2319. Further deep observations are necessary to better understand the mixing and turbulent processes within the cluster.

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Complex Ionization and Velocity Structures in GX 340+0 X-ray Binary Revealed by XRISM

We present the first high-resolution XRISM spectrum of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary GX 340+0, revealing unprecedented detail in its emission and absorption features. The spectrum reveals a rich and complex Fe XXV He$α$ line profile and a P-Cygni profile from Ca XX. We use the state-of-the-art spectral synthesis code Cloudy to model the emission and absorption features in detail. Our analysis reveals multi-ionization and multi-velocity structures, where the combination of broad ($\sim$ 800 km/s) and narrow ($\sim$ 360 km/s) line components, along with rest-frame and blueshifted emission and absorption lines, accounts for the observed line profile complexity. We identify a modest $\sim$ 2735 km/s accretion disk wind exhibiting both absorption and emission features. We also detect a relativistic reflection feature in the spectrum, which we model using relxillNS - specifically designed to characterize X-ray reprocessing in accretion disks around neutron stars. Furthermore, we examine the detailed physics of the Fe XXV He$α$ complex, focusing on the forbidden-to-resonance line ratio under the influence of continuum pumping and optical depth effects.

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XRISM Spectroscopy of the Stellar-Mass Black Hole 4U 1630-472 in Outburst

We report on XRISM/Resolve spectroscopy of the recurrent transient and well-known black hole candidate 4U 1630$-$472 during its 2024 outburst. The source was captured at the end of a disk-dominated high/soft state, at an Eddington fraction of $λ_\mathrm{Edd} \sim 0.05~(10 M_{\odot}/M_\mathrm{BH})$. A variable absorption spectrum with unprecedented complexity is revealed with the Resolve calorimeter. This marks one of the lowest Eddington fractions at which highly ionized absorption has been detected in an X-ray binary. The strongest lines are fully resolved, with He-like Fe XXV separated into resonance and intercombination components, and H-like Fe XXVI seen as a spin-orbit doublet. The depth of some absorption lines varied by almost an order of magnitude, far more than expected based on a 10% variation in apparent X-ray flux and ionization parameter. The velocity of some absorption components also changed significantly. Jointly modeling two flux segments with a consistent model including four photoionization zones, the spectrum can be described in terms of highly ionized but likely failed winds that sometimes show red-shifts, variable obscuration that may signal asymmetric structures in the middle and outer accretion disk, and a tentative very fast outflow ($v = 0.026-0.033c$). We discuss the impact of these findings on our understanding of accretion and winds in stellar-mass black holes, and potential consequences for future studies.

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Constraining gas motion and non-thermal pressure beyond the core of the Abell 2029 galaxy cluster with XRISM

We report a detailed spectroscopic study of the gas dynamics and hydrostatic mass bias of the galaxy cluster Abell 2029, utilizing high-resolution observations from XRISM Resolve. Abell 2029, known for its cool core and relaxed X-ray morphology, provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the influence of gas motions beyond the central region. Expanding upon prior studies that revealed low turbulence and bulk motions within the core, our analysis covers regions out to the scale radius $R_{2500}$ (670~kpc) based on three radial pointings extending from the cluster center toward the northern side. We obtain accurate measurements of bulk and turbulent velocities along the line of sight. The results indicate that non-thermal pressure accounts for no more than 2% of the total pressure at all radii, with a gradual decrease outward. The observed radial trend differs from many numerical simulations, which often predict an increase in non-thermal pressure fraction at larger radii. These findings suggest that deviations from hydrostatic equilibrium are small, leading to a hydrostatic mass bias of around 2% across the observed area.

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XRISM forecast for the Coma cluster: stormy, with a steep power spectrum

The XRISM Resolve microcalorimeter array measured the velocities of hot intracluster gas at two positions in the Coma galaxy cluster: 3'x3' squares at the center and at 6' (170 kpc) to the south. We find the line-of-sight velocity dispersions in those regions to be sigma_z=208+-12 km/s and 202+-24 km/s, respectively. The central value corresponds to a 3D Mach number of M=0.24+-0.015 and the ratio of the kinetic pressure of small-scale motions to thermal pressure in the intracluster plasma of only 3.1+-0.4%, at the lower end of predictions from cosmological simulations for merging clusters like Coma, and similar to that observed in the cool core of the relaxed cluster A2029. Meanwhile, the gas in both regions exhibits high line-of-sight velocity differences from the mean velocity of the cluster galaxies, Delta v_z=450+-15 km/s and 730+-30 km/s, respectively. A small contribution from an additional gas velocity component, consistent with the cluster optical mean, is detected along a sightline near the cluster center. The combination of the observed velocity dispersions and bulk velocities is not described by a Kolmogorov velocity power spectrum of steady-state turbulence; instead, the data imply a much steeper effective slope (i.e., relatively more power at larger linear scales). This may indicate either a very large dissipation scale resulting in the suppression of small-scale motions, or a transient dynamic state of the cluster, where large-scale gas flows generated by an ongoing merger have not yet cascaded down to small scales.

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Chasing the break: Tracing the full evolution of a black hole X-ray binary jet with multi-wavelength spectral modeling

Black hole X-ray binaries (BH XRBs) are ideal targets to study the connection between accretion inflow and jet outflow. Here we present quasi-simultaneous, multi-wavelength observations of the Galactic black hole system MAXI J1820+070, throughout its 2018-2019 outburst. Our data set includes coverage from the radio through X-ray bands from 17 different instruments/telescopes, and encompasses 19 epochs over a 7 month time period, resulting in one of the most well-sampled multi-wavelength data sets of a BH XRB outburst to date. With our data, we compile and model the broad-band spectra of this source using a phenomenological model that includes emission from the jet, companion star, and accretion flow. This modeling allows us to track the evolution of the spectral break in the jet spectrum, a key observable that samples the jet launching region. We find that the spectral break location changes over at least $\approx3$ orders of magnitude in electromagnetic frequency over this period. Using these spectral break measurements, we link the full cycle of jet behavior, including the rising, quenching, and re-ignition, to the changing accretion flow properties as the source evolves through its different accretion states. Our analyses show a consistent jet behavior with other sources in similar phases of their outbursts, reinforcing that the jet quenching and recovery may be a global feature of BH XRB systems in outburst. Our results also provide valuable evidence supporting a close connection between the geometry of the inner accretion flow and the base of the jet.

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The high energy universe at ultra-high resolution: the power and promise of X-ray interferometry

We propose the development of X-ray interferometry (XRI), to reveal the universe at high energies with ultra-high spatial resolution. With baselines which can be accommodated on a single spacecraft, XRI can reach 100 $μ$as resolution at 10 Å(1.2 keV) and 20 $μ$as at 2 Å(6 keV), enabling imaging and imaging-spectroscopy of (for example) X-ray coronae of nearby accreting supermassive black holes (SMBH) and the SMBH `shadow'; SMBH accretion flows and outflows; X-ray binary winds and orbits; stellar coronae within ~100 pc and many exoplanets which transit across them. For sufficiently luminous sources XRI will resolve sub-pc scales across the entire observable universe, revealing accreting binary SMBHs and enabling trigonometric measurements of the Hubble constant with X-ray light echoes from quasars or explosive transients. A multi-spacecraft `constellation' interferometer would resolve well below 1 $μ$as, enabling SMBH event horizons to be resolved in many active galaxies and the detailed study of the effects of strong field gravity on the dynamics and emission from accreting gas close to the black hole.

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X-ray diagnostics of chemical composition of the accretion disk and donor star in UCXBs II: XMM-Newton observations

We search for the Fe K$α$ line in spectra of Ultra Compact X-ray Binaries (UCXBs). For this purpose we have analyzed XMM-Newton observations of five confirmed UCXBs. We find that the object 2S 0918-549 - whose optical spectrum bears tentative signatures of a C/O accretion disk - is devoid of any emission features in the 6-7 keV range, with an upper limit of less than 10 eV for the equivalent width (EW) of the iron line. 4U 1916-05 - whose optical spectrum is consistent with reflection from a He-rich accretion disk - exhibits a bright broad iron emission line. This behavior is in agreement with the theoretical predictions presented in Koliopanos, Gilfanov and Bildsten (2013). Namely, we expect strong suppression of the Fe K$α$ emission line in spectra originating in moderately bright (LogLx less than $\approx$ 37.5) UCXBs with C/O or O/Ne/Mg-rich donors. On the other hand the EW of the iron line in spectra from UCXBs with He-rich donors is expected to retain its nominal value of $\approx$ 100 eV. Our analysis also reveals a strong Fe K$α$ line in the spectrum of 4U 0614+091. This detection points towards a He-rich donor and seems to be at odds with the source's classification as C/O-rich. Nevertheless, a He-rich donor would explain the bursting activity reported for this system. Lastly, based on our theoretical predictions, we attribute the lack of a strong iron emission line - in the two remaining UCXB sources in our sample (XTE J1807-294, 4U 0513-40) - as an indication of a C/O or O/Ne/Mg white dwarf donor. From the upper limits of the Fe K$α$ line EW in 4U 0513-40, 2S 0918-549 and XTE J1807-294 we obtain a lower limit on the oxygen-to-iron ratio,O/Fe$\ge$ 10$\times$[O/Fe]$_{\odot}$.

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Modelling the high mass accretion rate spectra of GX 339-4: Black hole spin from reflection?

We extract all the XMM-Newton EPIC pn burst mode spectra of GX 339-4, together with simultaneous/contemporaneous RXTE data. These include three disc dominated and two soft intermediate spectra, and the combination of broad bandpass/moderate spectral resolution gives some of the best data on these bright soft states in black hole binaries. The disc dominated spectra span a factor three in luminosity, and all show that the disc emission is broader than the simplest multicolour disc model. This is consistent with the expected relativistic smearing and changing colour temperature correction produced by atomic features in the newest disc models. However, these models do not match the data at the 5 per cent level as the predicted atomic features are not present in the data, perhaps indicating that irradiation is important even when the high energy tail is weak. Whatever the reason, this means that the data have smaller errors than the best physical disc models, forcing use of more phenomenological models for the disc emission. We use these for the soft intermediate state data, where previous analysis using a simple disc continuum found an extremely broad residual, identified as the red wing of the iron line from reflection around a highly spinning black hole. However, the iron line energy is close to where the disc and tail have equal fluxes, so using a broader disc continuum changes the residual 'iron line' profile dramatically. With a broader disc continuum model, the inferred line is formed outside of 30 ${\rm{R_g}}$, so cannot constrain black hole spin. We caution that a robust determination of black hole spin from the iron line profile is very difficult where the disc makes a significant contribution at the iron line energy i.e. in most bright black hole states.

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A strong and broad iron line in the XMM-Newton spectrum of the new X-ray transient and black-hole candidate XTE J1652-453

We observed the new X-ray transient and black-hole candidate XTE J1652-453 simultaneously with XMM-Newton and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The observation was done during the decay of the 2009 outburst, when XTE J1652-453 was in the hard-intermediate state. The spectrum shows a strong and broad iron emission line with an equivalent width of ~ 450 eV. The profile is consistent with that of a line being produced by reflection off the accretion disk, broadened by relativistic effects close to the black hole. The best-fitting inner radius of the accretion disk is ~ 4 gravitational radii. Assuming that the accretion disk is truncated at the radius of the innermost stable circular orbit, the black hole in XTE J1652-453 has a spin parameter of ~ 0.5. The power spectrum of the RXTE observation has an additional variability component above 50 Hz, which is typical for the hard-intermediate state. No coherent quasi-periodic oscillations at low frequency are apparent in the power spectrum, which may imply that we view the system at a rather low inclination angle.

astro-ph.HE