Disk–Jet Coupling in the 2017/2018 Outburst of the Galactic Black Hole Candidate X-Ray Binary MAXI J1535–571

Abstract

MAXI J1535−571 is a Galactic black hole candidate X-ray binary that was discovered going into outburst in 2017 September. In this paper, we present comprehensive radio monitoring of this system using the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), as well as the MeerKAT radio observatory, showing the evolution of the radio jet during its outburst. Our radio observations show the early rise and subsequent quenching of the compact jet as the outburst brightened and then evolved towards the soft state. We constrain the compact jet quenching factor to be more than 3.5 orders of magnitude. We also detected and tracked (for 303 days) a discrete, relativistically-moving jet knot that was launched from the system. From the motion of the apparently superluminal knot, we constrain the jet inclination (at the time of ejection) and speed to ≤ 45 • and ≥ 0.69c, respectively. Extrapolating its motion back in time, our results suggest that the jet knot was ejected close in time to the transition from the hard intermediate state to soft intermediate state. The launching event also occurred contemporaneously with a short increase in X-ray count rate, a rapid drop in the strength of the X-ray variability, and a change in the type-C quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) frequency that occurs >2.5 days before the first appearance of a possible type-B QPO.

A Rapid Change in X-Ray Variability and a Jet Ejection in the Black Hole Transient MAXI J1820+070

“…Both would result in optically thin radio emission due to internal shocks (Kaiser et al 2000;Miller-Jones et al 2009;Jamil et al 2010;Malzac 2014). Fender et al (2009), Miller-Jones et al (2012, and Russell et al (2019) looked in detail at possible connections between the occurrence of radio flares and changes in the X-ray timing properties in several transient BH LMXBs: XTE J1550-564, XTE J1859+226, GX 339-4, H1743-322, XTE J1752-223, and MAXI J1535-571. Despite some cases in which a radio flare occurred close in time (within ∼half a day to days) to the disappearance of type-C QPOs and/or the appearance of type-B QPOs, the authors concluded that there was not enough evidence to directly tie discrete jet ejections to a change in X-ray timing properties.…”

“…Within a few days of the (occasionally rapid) changes between the various types of low-frequency QPOs, radio flares have been observed in some BH LMXBs (see, e.g., Corbel et al 2001;Brocksopp et al 2002;Gallo et al 2004;Miller-Jones et al 2012;Russell et al 2019). The flares last hours to days and high angular-resolution radio and X-ray observations have shown that they are the result of discrete ejection events that occurred prior to the radio flares (Corbel et al 2003, 2005, andreferences above).…”

“…Suggestions were made that the ejection events and the resulting radio flares are associated with the appearance of type-B QPOs (e.g. Soleri et al 2008), but detailed studies of X-ray variability and radio flares in XTE J1550−564, GX 339−4, XTE J1859+226, H1743−322, and MAXI J1535-571 were inconclusive as to whether such a relation exists (Fender et al 2009;Miller-Jones et al 2012;Russell et al 2019). These studies were all hampered by gaps in either the X-ray and/or radio coverage, with the durations of these gaps ranging from ∼10 hr to ∼4 days, preventing an unambiguous association of the radio flares and ejection events with the appearance/disappearance of any of the low-frequency QPO types to better than half a day to a few days, depending on the source.…”

High-energy cosmic ray production in X-ray binary jets

“…Using an X-ray luminosity of jets varying between 1-5% L edd (Maccarone 2003;Miller-Jones et al 2012;Curran et al 2014;Russell et al 2019), the A-parameter normalization estimated by Fender et al (2005) in this relation (see Table 1), and a mean δ t estimated from the WATCHDOG catalogue as discussed above, we are able to compute an L CR estimate via Equation 2.…”

The appearance of a compact jet in the soft–intermediate state of 4U 1543−47

“…However, it was also discovered that in some accretion state regimes (which empirically reveal themselves as X-ray states defined by their spectral and variability properties; see Belloni 2010, and references therein) the jets are suppressed, possibly absent (namely soft X-ray states, e.g. Fender et al 1999;Coriat et al 2011;Russell et al 2011Russell et al , 2019. Prior to this quenching of the jets, bright radio flares are often reported, which are sometimes resolved into discrete ejecta (e.g.…”