The Identification of Maxi J1659-152 as a Black Hole Candidate

Kalamkar, M.; Homan, J.; Altamirano, D.; Klis, M. van der; Casella, P.; Linares, M.

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/731/1/l2

Cited by 39 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…A preliminary account of the results can be found in Kuulkers et al (2010bKuulkers et al ( ,d, 2012a and Belloni et al (2010). The MAXI, RXTE and Swift data have already been (partly) described elsewhere, however, the focus was more on the combined spectral and timing behaviour of MAXI J1659−152 (Kalamkar et al 2011;Kennea et al 2011;Muñoz-Darias et al 2011b;Shaposhnikov et al 2012;Yamaoka et al 2012). We find that MAXI J1659−152 is indeed viewed at a high inclination.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 63%

MAXI J1659−152: the shortest orbital period black-hole transient in outburst

Kuulkers

Kouveliotou

Belloni

et al. 2013

A&A

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101

109

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MAXI J1659−152 is a bright X-ray transient black-hole candidate binary system discovered in September 2010. We report here on MAXI, RXTE, Swift, and XMM-Newton observations during its 2010/2011 outburst. We find that during the first one and a half week of the outburst the X-ray light curves display drops in intensity at regular intervals, which we interpret as absorption dips. About three weeks into the outbursts, again drops in intensity are seen. These dips have, however, a spectral behaviour opposite to that of the absorption dips, and are related to fast spectral state changes (hence referred to as transition dips). The absorption dips recur with a period of 2.414 ± 0.005 h, which we interpret as the orbital period of the system. This implies that MAXI J1659−152 is the shortest period black-hole candidate binary known to date. The inclination of the accretion disk with respect to the line of sight is estimated to be 65-80• . We propose the companion to the black-hole candidate to be close to an M5 dwarf star, with a mass and radius of about 0.15-0.25 M and 0.2-0.25 R , respectively. We derive that the companion had an initial mass of about 1.5 M , which evolved to its current mass in about 5-6 billion years. The system is rather compact (orbital separation of 1.33 R ), and is located at a distance of 8.6 ± 3.7 kpc, with a height above the Galactic plane of 2.4 ± 1.0 kpc. The characteristics of short orbital period and high Galactic scale height are shared with two other transient black-hole candidate X-ray binaries, i.e., XTE J1118+480 and Swift J1735.5−0127. We suggest that all three are kicked out of the Galactic plane into the halo, rather than being formed in a globular cluster.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 63%

MAXI J1659−152: the shortest orbital period black-hole transient in outburst

Kuulkers

Kouveliotou

Belloni

et al. 2013

A&A

Self Cite

101

109

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“…It decays in both energy bands as the source evolves toward the SIMS. The two excursions to the SIMS reported by RXTE were accompanied by a drop in the integrated rms in the xte band (see Figure 1 in Kalamkar et al 2011). The first excursion on MJD 55481.7 was not covered by Swift, but after the second transition at MJD 55484.7, the integrated rms was 10.0% ± 2.5% in the hard band (7.1% ± 2.7% in the xte band).…”

Section: Light Curve and Variability Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The peak intensity was observed on MJD 55476.7. Transitions to the SIMS (where a type-B QPO is detected) were observed twice with RXTE (Kalamkar et al 2011); the first excursion to the SIMS on MJD 55481.7 was not observed by Swift, the second transition on MJD 55484.7 was covered by XRT observations but these ended before the transition back to the HIMS on MJD 55501. Kalamkar et al (2011) reported that the source did not make a transition to the HSS (state where spectrum has thermal disk contribution above 75% and the variability is weak; Remillard & McClintock 2006) before returning to the hard state while Muñoz-Darias et al (2011) report the transition of the source to the HSS (softest spectrum dominated by thermal disk component and with weak variability; Belloni 2010).…”

Section: Light Curve and Variability Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The evolution of the frequencies of all the components in the soft and the hard bands with time, along with the xte band from Kalamkar et al (2011) is shown in Figure 3. The vertical gray lines mark the (end-time of the) first four observations for which we report detections in the individual GTI.…”

Section: Evolution Of the Parameters And Their Energy Dependent Behavmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The rest of the detections are in each average Swift and RXTE observation. For clarity, additional noise components detected only in the xte band reported in Kalamkar et al (2011) have been omitted in this figure. All the components, except the lfn, show an increase in frequency as the outburst progresses. The QPO frequency evolution in the hard and soft band is consistent with the reports of Kennea et al Swift XRT.…”

Section: Evolution Of the Parameters And Their Energy Dependent Behavmentioning

confidence: 99%

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SWIFTX-RAY TELESCOPE STUDY OF THE BLACK HOLE BINARY MAXI J1659–152: VARIABILITY FROM A TWO COMPONENT ACCRETION FLOW

Kalamkar

Klis

Heil

et al. 2015

ApJ

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We present an energy dependent X-ray variability study of the 2010 outburst of the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1659-152 with the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT). The broadband noise components and the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO) observed in the power spectra show a strong and varied energy dependence. Combining Swift XRT data with data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, we report, for the first time, an rms spectrum (fractional rms amplitude as a function of energy) of these components in the 0.5-30 keV energy range. We find that the strength of the low-frequency component (<0.1 Hz) decreases with energy, contrary to the higher frequency components (>0.1 Hz) whose strengths increase with energy. In the context of the propagating fluctuations model for X-ray variability, we suggest that the low-frequency component originates in the accretion disk (which dominates emission below ∼2 keV) and the higher frequency components are formed in the hot flow (which dominates emission above ∼2 keV). As the properties of the QPO suggest that it may have a different driving mechanism, we investigate the Lense-Thirring precession of the hot flow as a candidate model. We also report on the QPO coherence evolution for the first time in the energy band below 2 keV. While there are strong indications that the QPO is less coherent at energies below 2 keV than above 2 keV, the coherence increases with intensity similar to what is observed at energies above 2 keV in other black hole X-ray binaries.

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The Galactic transient sky with Swift

Kennea

2015

Journal of High Energy Astrophysics

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The unique capabilities of Swift that make it ideal for discovery and follow-up of Gamma-Ray bursts also makes it the idea mission for discovery and monitoring of X-ray Transients in the Milky Way and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The Burst Alert Telescope allows for detection of new transient outbursts, the automated follow-up capabilities of Swift allow for rapid observation and localization of the new transient in X-rays and optical/UV bands, and Swift's rapid slewing capabilities allows for low-overhead short observations to be obtained, opening up the possibility of regular, sensitive, long term monitoring of transient outbursts that are not possible with other currently operational X-ray missions. In this paper I describe the methods of discovery of X-ray transients utilizing Swift's BAT and also collaboration with the MAXI telescope. I also detail two examples of X-ray transient science enabled by Swift: Swift discovery and monitoring observations of MAXI J1659−152, a Black Hole candidate Low Mass X-ray Binary in the Galactic Halo, which has the shortest known orbital period of any such system; and Swift monitoring of IGR J00569−7226, an edge on Be/X-ray binary that displayed a outburst in 2013 and 2014, and which monitoring by Swift allowed for detection of dips, eclipses and the determination of the orbital parameters, utilizing a measurement of doppler shifts in the pulsar period.

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The Identification of Maxi J1659-152 as a Black Hole Candidate

Cited by 39 publications

References 24 publications

MAXI J1659−152: the shortest orbital period black-hole transient in outburst

MAXI J1659−152: the shortest orbital period black-hole transient in outburst

SWIFTX-RAY TELESCOPE STUDY OF THE BLACK HOLE BINARY MAXI J1659–152: VARIABILITY FROM A TWO COMPONENT ACCRETION FLOW

The Galactic transient sky with Swift

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