Identification of the donor in the X-ray binary GRS 1915+105

Greiner, J.; Cuby, Jean-Gabriel; McCaughrean, M. J.; Castro‐Tirado, Alberto J.; Mennickent, R. E.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20010771

Cited by 106 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Many of these variations can be understood in terms of instabilities that switch the origin of radiant energy between two components : the accretion disk and the X-ray power law (Muno, Morgan, & Remillard 1999). Recent observations in the near-infrared H and K bands with the Very Large Telescope reveal the donor to be a K-M III giant (Greiner et al 2001a) with a 33 day binary period and a radial velocity curve interpreted to suggest a compact object of D14 M _ (Greiner, McCaughrean, & Cuby et al 2001b). This indicates that GRS 1915]105 belongs to the class of dynamically established black hole binaries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐ResolutionChandraHETGS andRossi X‐Ray Timing ExplorerObservations of GRS 1915+105: A Hot Disk Atmosphere and Cold Gas Enriched in Iron and Silicon

Lee

Reynolds

Remillard

et al. 2002

ApJ

216

284

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The time-averaged 30 ks Chandra AO1 High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer observation of the microquasar GRS 1915]105 in the low hard state reveals for the Ðrst time in this source neutral K absorption edges from iron, silicon, magnesium, and sulphur. Ionized resonance (r) absorption from H-and He-like species of Fe (XXV, XXVI) and possibly Ca XX are also seen as well as possible emission from neutral Fe Ka and ionized Fe XXV (forbidden or the resonance emission component of a P Cygni proÐle). We report the tentative detection of the Ðrst astrophysical signature of X-ray absorption Ðne structure in the photoelectric edge of Si (and possibly Fe and Mg) attributed to material in grains. The large column densities measured from the neutral edges reveal anomalous Si and Fe abundances and illustrate the importance of high-resolution X-ray measurements for assessing material that surrounds bright X-ray sources, especially if depletion onto grains plays a prominent role. Scenarios for which the anomalous abundances can be attributed to surrounding cold material associated with GRS 1915]105 and/or for which the enrichment may signify either a highly unusual supernova/hypernova or external supernova activity local to the binary are discussed. We attribute the ionized features to a hot disk, disk wind, or corona environment. Based on H-and He-like Fe (XXV, XXVI), we estimate constraints on the ionization parameter temperature (T [ 2.4 ] 106 K), and hydrogen equivalent number (log m Z 4.15), density cm~3) for this region. Variability studies with the simultaneous RXT E data show that (n Z 1012 the light-curve count rate tracks the changes in the disk blackbody as well as the power-law Ñux, with the most signiÐcant variations observed in the former. The Chandra data show spectral changes that also track the behavior of the light curve and may point to changes in both the ionizing Ñux and density of the absorber. A 3.69 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation and weak Ðrst harmonic are seen in the RXT E data.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐ResolutionChandraHETGS andRossi X‐Ray Timing ExplorerObservations of GRS 1915+105: A Hot Disk Atmosphere and Cold Gas Enriched in Iron and Silicon

Lee

Reynolds

Remillard

et al. 2002

ApJ

216

284

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The binary model of the microquasar GRS 1915+105 was elusive, until recently, despite many observational efforts to search for the donor star (Castro-Tirado et al 1996;Eikenberry et al 1998;Mirabel et al 1997;Martí et al 2000;Harlaftis et al 2001;Greiner et al 2001a). Greiner et al (2001b) were able to obtain phase-resolved IR spectra using the VLT-Antu with the ISAAC IR spectrograph and derive the orbital period of the binary system from the detected Doppler-shifted 12 CO and 13 CO absorption bands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The rotational broadening and the mass of the donor star of GRS 1915+105

Harlaftis

Greiner

2004

A&A

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Abstract. The binary parameters of the microquasar GRS 1915+105 have been determined by the detection of Doppler-shifted 12 CO and 13 CO lines in its K-band spectrum (Greiner et al. 2001b). Here, we present further analysis of the same K-band VLT spectra and we derive a rotational broadening of the donor star of υ sin i = 26±3 km s −1 from the 12 CO/ 13 CO lines. Assuming that the K-type star is tidally locked to the black hole and is filling its Roche-lobe surface, then the implied mass ratio is q = M d Mx = 0.058 ± 0.033. This result, combined with (P, K, i) = (33.5 d, 140 km s −1 , 66 • ) gives a more refined mass estimate for the black hole, M x = 14.0 ± 4.4 M , than previously estimated, using an inclination of i = 66 • ± 2 • (Fender et al. 1999) as derived from the orientation of the radio jets and a more accurate distance. The mass for the early K-type giant star is M d = 0.81 ± 0.53 M , consistent with a more evolved stripped-giant donor star in GRS 1915+105 than, for example, the donor star of the prototype black-hole X-ray transient, V404 Cyg which has the longest binary period after GRS 1915+105.

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“…In order to determine the true mass of the black hole, estimates of the donor mass [12]. Because of the high mass-loss of the donor (which is needed to explain the large X-ray luminosity), the donor is most certainly less luminous than a non-interacting star of the same spectral type.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An unusually massive stellar black hole in the Galaxy

Greiner

Cuby

McCaughrean

2001

Nature

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323

306

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GRS 1915+105 belongs to the small group of galactic X-ray binaries dubbed microquasars [1, 2], which show sporadic ejection of matter at apparently superluminal speeds. Knowing the basic system parameters of GRS 1915+105is not only a prerequisite of understanding the ingredients of jet formation, but also provides the link to many other astrophysical objects which exhibit jets, in particular extragalactic objects. Based on its large X-ray luminosity

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Identification of the donor in the X-ray binary GRS 1915+105

Cited by 106 publications

References 22 publications

High‐ResolutionChandraHETGS andRossi X‐Ray Timing ExplorerObservations of GRS 1915+105: A Hot Disk Atmosphere and Cold Gas Enriched in Iron and Silicon

High‐ResolutionChandraHETGS andRossi X‐Ray Timing ExplorerObservations of GRS 1915+105: A Hot Disk Atmosphere and Cold Gas Enriched in Iron and Silicon

The rotational broadening and the mass of the donor star of GRS 1915+105

An unusually massive stellar black hole in the Galaxy

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