arXiv subjects

Rob Fender

Publications and source records attributed to Rob Fender.

156 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

X-Ray Jet Emission from the Black Hole X-Ray Binary XTE J1550-564 with Chandra in 2000

We have discovered an X-ray jet due to material ejected from the black hole X-ray transient XTE J1550-564. The discovery was first reported by Corbel et al. (Science, 298, 196 and astro-ph/0210224), and here, we present an analysis of the three Chandra observations made between 2000 June and 2000 September. For these observations, a source is present that moves in an eastward direction away from the point source associated with the compact object. The separation between the new source and the compact object changes from 21.3 arcseconds in June to 23.4 arcseconds in September, implying a proper motion of 21.2 +/- 7.2 mas/day, a projected separation of 0.31-0.85 pc and an apparent jet velocity between 0.34 +/- 0.12 and 0.93 +/- 0.32 times the speed of light for a source distance range of d = 2.8-7.6 kpc. These observations represent the first time that an X-ray jet proper motion measurement has been obtained for any accretion powered Galactic or extra-galactic source. While this work deals with the jet to the east of the compact object, the western jet has also been detected in the X-ray and radio bands. The most likely scenario is that the eastern jet is the approaching jet and that the jet material was ejected from the black hole in 1998. Along with a 1998 VLBI proper motion measurement, the Chandra proper motion indicates that the eastern jet decelerated between 1998 and 2000. We present results on the morphology and energy spectrum of the jet. We cannot definitively determine the X-ray emission mechanism, but a synchrotron origin is viable and may provide the simplest explanation for the observations.

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arXiv2002

Iron Emission Lines from Extended X-ray Jets in SS 433: Reheating of Atomic Nuclei

Powerful relativistic jets are among the most ubiquitous and energetic observational consequences of accretion around supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei and neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes in x-ray binary (XRB) systems. But despite more than three decades of study, the structure and composition of these jets remain unknown. Here we present spatially resolved x-ray spectroscopy of arc second-scale x-ray jets from the XRB SS 433 analized with the Chandra advanced charge-coupled device imaging spectrometer. These observations reveal evidence for a hot continuum and Doppler-shifted iron emission lines from spatially resolved regions. Apparently, in situ reheating of the baryonic component of the jets takes place in a flow that moves with relativistic bulk velocity even more than 100 days after launch from the binary core.

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arXiv2001

The Power of Jets: New Clues from Radio Circular Polarization and X-rays

Jets are ubiquitous in accreting black holes. Often ignored, they may be a major contributor to the emitted spectral energy distribution for sub-Eddington black holes. For example, recent observations of radio-to-X-ray correlations and broad band spectra of X-ray binaries in the low/hard state can be explained by a significant synchrotron contribution from jets also to their IR-to-X-ray spectrum as proposed by Markoff, Falcke, Fender 2001. This model can also explain state-transitions from low/hard to high/soft states. Relativistic beaming of the jet X-ray emission could lead to the appearance of seemingly Super-Eddington X-rays sources in other galaxies. We show that a simple population synthesis model of X-ray binaries with relativistic beaming can well explain the currently found distribution of off-nucleus X-ray point sources in nearby galaxies. Specifically we suggest that the so-called ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs, also IXOs) could well be relativistically beamed microblazars. The same model that can be used to explain X-ray binaries also fits Low-Luminosity AGN (LLAGN) and especially Sgr A* in the Galactic Center. The recent detection of significant circular polarization in AGN radio cores, ranging from bright quasars down to low-luminosity AGN like M81*, Sgr A* and even X-ray binaries, now places additional new constraints on the matter contents of such jets. The emerging picture are powerful jets with a mix of hot and cold matter, a net magnetic flux, and a stable magnetic north pole.

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arXiv2001

Relativistic outflows from X-ray binaries (a.k.a. `Microquasars')

In this review I summarise the observational connections between accretion and relativistic outflows -- jets -- in X-ray binaries. I argue that jets are likely to be a fairly ubiquitous property of X-ray binaries as a whole, an assertion which can be tested by further observations of the Atoll-type X-ray binaries. I discuss broad patterns that are emerging from these observational studies, such as a correlation between `hard' X-ray states and the presence of radio emission, and the related anti-correlation between jet strength and mass-accretion rate as inferred from X-ray studies alone. I briefly discuss possible future directions for research and compare X-ray binary jets to those from Active Galactic Nuclei and Gamma Ray Bursts.

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arXiv2001

Secular and orbital variability of Cir X-1 observed in optical spectra

We have observed variations in the optical emission lines from the X-ray binary Circinus X-1. These variations may be attributed both to orbital variations and to long term secular changes in line strength. We have detected double-peaked H-alpha emission lines on two occasions, providing the first direct evidence for an accretion disk in the system. The separation of the peaks was different on the two occasions, suggesting that the disk might have a different size. The equivalent width of the emission lines dropped by more than a factor of three between 1999 and 2000; this continues the trend seen in earlier data, so that the H-alpha equivalent width has now declined by a factor of twenty since 1976. The emission lines do not appear to show signature of orbital motion, except for the data taken near phase 0, which show a significant velocity shift. We have observed an absorption component to the He I lines on one occasion. We suggest that, unlike the P Cygni profiles seen in X-ray spectra, this absorption does not arise in the accelerating zone of a radiatively driven wind. Instead, the absorption arises in material previously ejected from the system. It was only seen on this one occasion because the strength of the emission line had dropped dramatically.

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arXiv2001

A relativistic jet from Cygnus X-1 in the low/hard X-ray state

We present the detection of a radio-emitting jet from the black-hole candidate and X-ray binary source Cygnus X-1. Evidence of a bright core with a slightly extended structure was found on milliarcsecond resolution observations with the VLBA at 15.4 GHz. Later observations with the VLBA (and including the phased up VLA) at 8.4 GHz show an extended jet-like feature extending to approx. 15 mas from a core region, with an opening angle of < 2 degrees. In addition, lower resolution MERLIN observations at 5 GHz show that the source has < 10 per cent linear polarization. The source was in the low/hard X-ray state during the observations, and the results confirm the existence of persistent radio emission from an unresolved core and a variable relativistic (> 0.6c) jet during this state.

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arXiv2001

A jet model for the broadband spectrum of XTE J1118+480: Synchrotron emission from radio to X-rays in the Low/Hard spectral state

Observations have revealed strong evidence for powerful jets in the Low/Hard states of black hole candidate X-ray binaries. Correlations, both temporal and spectral, between the radio -- infrared and X-ray bands suggest that jet synchrotron as well as inverse Compton emission could also be significantly contributing at higher frequencies. We show here that, for reasonable assumptions about the jet physical parameters, the broadband spectrum from radio through X-rays can be almost entirely fit by synchrotron emission. We explore a relatively simple model for a relativistic, adiabatically expanding jet combined with a truncated thermal disk conjoined by an ADAF, in the context of the recently discovered black hole binary XTE J1118+480. In particular, the X-ray power-law emission can be explained as optically thin synchrotron emission from a shock acceleration region in the innermost part of the jet, with a cutoff determined by cooling losses. For synchrotron cooling-limited particle acceleration, the spectral cutoff is a function only of dimensionless plasma parameters and thus should be around a ``canonical'' value for sources with similar plasma properties. It is therefore possible that non-thermal jet emission is important for XTE J1118+480 and possibly other X-ray binaries in the Low/Hard state.

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arXiv2001

Microquasars: hard X-ray/gamma-ray emission

I review some of the basic observational details of jets from X-ray binaries, or `microquasars'. It is shown that in both (Z and Atoll) NS and BHC systems radio emission, and therefore jet formation, is correlated with the presence of hard (30-500 keV) X-ray emission. At gamma-ray (> 500 keV) energies, the relation is not so clear. Possible physical connections between the presence of a jet, with a population of relativistic electrons, and the emission of hard X-rays, are briefly discussed.

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arXiv2000

Energetics of jets from X-ray binaries

I discuss the energetics of synchrotron-emitting outflows, increasingly found to be present in many different classes of X-ray binary systems. It is shown that the outflow is likely to be comparable in power to the integrated X-ray luminosity, traditionally taken to be an indicator of the global mass-transfer rate. This is especially found to be the case in the (low/)hard states of black hole candidate systems. I conclude that jets are extremely important, energetically and dynamically, for the accretion process in the majority of known X-ray binary systems.

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arXiv2000

Correlated X-ray Spectral and Timing Behavior of the Black Hole Candidate XTE J1550-564: A New Interpretation of Black Hole States

We present an analysis of RXTE data of the X-ray transient XTE J1550-564. The source went through several states, which were divided into spectrally soft and hard states. These states showed up as distinct branches in the color-color diagram, forming a structure with a comb-like topology; the soft state branch forming the spine and the hard state branches forming the teeth. Variability was strongly correlated with the position on the branches. The broad band noise became stronger, and changed from power law like to band limited, as the spectrum became harder. Three types of QPOs were found: 1-18 Hz and 102-284 Hz QPOs on the hard branches, and 16-18 Hz QPOs on and near the soft branch. The frequencies of the high and low frequency QPOs on the hard branches were correlated with each other, and anti-correlated with spectral hardness. The changes in QPO frequency suggest that the inner disc radius only increases by a factor of 3-4 as the source changes from a soft to a hard state. Our results on XTE J1550-564 strongly favor a 2-dimensional description of black hole behavior, where the regions near the spine of the comb in the color-color diagram can be identified with the high state, and the teeth with transitions from the high state, via the intermediate state (which includes the very high state) to the low state, and back. The two physical parameters underlying this behavior vary to a large extent independently and could for example be the mass accretion rate through the disk and the size of a Comptonizing region.

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arXiv1999

Relativistic Jets from X-ray binaries

In this review I summarise the status of observational research into relativistic jets from X-ray binaries, highlighting four areas in particular: (i) How relativistic are the jets ?, (ii) The disc : jet coupling, (iii) the nature of the underlying flat spectral component, and (iv) the relation between jets from black holes and those from neutron stars. I have attempted to discuss the extent of our (limited) physical understanding, and to point the way towards relevant new observational tests of the various phenomena.

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arXiv1999

High resolution optical and infrared spectroscopic observations of Cir X-1

We present new optical and infrared (IR) observations of Cir X-1 taken near apastron. Both sets of spectra show asymmetric emission lines. Archival optical observations show that an asymmetric H-alpha emission line has been in evidence for the past twenty years, although the shape of the line has changed significantly. We present an eccentric (e ~ 0.7-0.9) low mass binary model, where the system consists of a neutron star orbiting around a (sub-)giant companion star of 3-5 solar masses. We suggest that the broad components of the emission lines arise in a high-velocity, optically thick flow near the neutron star; while the narrow components of the optical and the IR lines arise near the companion star and a heated ejecta-shell surrounding the binary respectively. In this model, the velocity of the narrow component reflects the space velocity of the binary; the implied radial velocity (+430 km/s after correcting for Galactic rotation) is the highest velocity known for an X-ray binary.

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