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1
Sen, K., X. T. Xu, N. Langer, I. El Mellah, C. Schürmann, and M. Quast. "X-ray emission from BH+O star binaries expected to descend from the observed galactic WR+O binaries." Astronomy & Astrophysics 652 (August 2021): A138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202141214.
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Context. In the Milky Way, ∼18 Wolf-Rayet+O star (WR+O) binaries are known with estimates of their stellar and orbital parameters. Whereas black hole+O star (BH+O) binaries are thought to evolve from WR+O binaries, only one such system is known in the Milky Way. To resolve this disparity, it was suggested recently that upon core collapse, the WR stars receive large kicks such that most of the binaries are disrupted. Aims. We reassess this issue, with a particular emphasis on the uncertainty in predicting the X-ray emission from wind-accreting BHs in BH+O binaries, which is key to identifying such systems. Methods. BH+O systems are thought to be X-ray bright only when an accretion disk forms around the BHs. We followed the methodology of previous work and applied an improved analytic criterion for the formation of an accretion disk around wind accreting BHs. We then used stellar evolutionary models to predict the properties of the BH+O binaries which are expected to descend from the observed WR+O binaries if the WR stars would form BHs without a natal kick. Results. We find that disk formation sensitively depends on the O stars’ wind velocity, the amount of specific angular momentum carried by the wind, the efficiency of angular momentum accretion by the BH, and the spin of the BH. We show that whereas the assumption of a low wind velocity may lead to the prediction that most of the BH+O star binaries will have an extended X-ray bright period, this is not the case when typical wind velocities of O stars are considered. We find that a high spin of the BH can boost the duration of the X-ray active phase as well as the X-ray brightness during this phase. This produces a strong bias for detecting high mass BH binaries in X-rays with high BH spin parameters. Conclusions. We find that large BH formation kicks are not required to understand the sparsity of X-ray bright BH+O stars in the Milky Way. Probing for a population of X-ray silent BH+O systems with alternative methods can likely inform us about BH kicks and the necessary conditions for high energy emission from high mass BH binaries.
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Ziółkowski, Janusz, and Krzysztof Belczyński. "On the apparent lack of Be X-ray binaries with black holes in the galaxy and in the Magellanic Clouds." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 6, S275 (September 2010): 329–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921310016340.
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AbstractIn the Galaxy there are 67 Be X-ray binaries known to-date. Out of those, 45 host a neutron star, and for the reminder the nature of a companion is not known. None, so far, is known to host a black hole. This disparity is referred to as a missing Be – black hole X-ray binary problem. The stellar population synthesis calculations following the formation of Be X-ray binaries (Belczyński & Ziółkowski 2009) predict that the ratio of the binaries with neutron stars to the ones with black holes is rather high FNS/BH ~ 30–50. A comparison of this ratio with the number of confirmed Be – neutron star X-ray binaries (45) indicates that the expected number of Be – black hole X-ray binaries is of the order of only ~0–2. This is entirely consistent with the observed Galactic sample. Therefore, there is no problem of the missing Be+BH X-Ray Binaries for the GalaxyIn the Magellanic Clouds there are 94 Be X-ray binaries known to-date. Out of those, 60 host a neutron star. Again, none hosts a black hole. The stellar population synthesis calculations carried out specifically for the Magellanic Clouds (Ziółkowski & Belczyński 2010) predict that the ratio of the Be X-ray binaries with neutron stars to the ones with black holes is only FNS/BH ~ 10. This value is rather too low, as it implies the expected number of Be+BH X-ray binaries of the order of ~6, while none is observed. We found, that to remove the discrepancy, one has to take into account a different history of the star formation rate in the Magellanic Clouds, with the respect to the Galaxy. New stellar population synthesis calculations are currently being carried out.
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Qin, Ke, Long Jiang, and Wen-Cong Chen. "Black Hole Ultracompact X-Ray Binaries: Galactic Low-frequency Gravitational Wave Sources." Astrophysical Journal 944, no. 1 (February 1, 2023): 83. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acb340.
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Abstract In the Galaxy, close binaries with compact objects are important low-frequency gravitational wave (GW) sources. As potential low-frequency GW sources, neutron star/white dwarf (WD) ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) have been investigated extensively. Using the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics code, we systematically explored the evolution of black hole (BH)-main-sequence star (MS) binaries to determine whether their descendants can be detected by space-borne GW detectors. Our simulations showed that BH-MS binaries with an initial orbital period less than the bifurcation period can evolve into BH UCXBs that can be detected by LISA. Such an evolutionary channel would form compact mass-transferring BH-WD systems rather than detached BH-WD systems. The calculated X-ray luminosities of BH UCXBs that can be detected by LISA at a distance d = 1 kpc are ∼1033–1035 erg s−1 (∼1034–1035 erg s−1 for d = 10 kpc); hence, it is possible to detect their electromagnetic counterparts. It is worth emphasizing that only some BH-MS systems with an initial orbital period very close to the bifurcation period can evolve toward low-frequency GW sources whose chirp masses can be measured. The maximum GW frequency of BH UCXBs forming via the BH-MS pathway is about 3 mHz, which is smaller than the minimum GW frequency (6.4 mHz) of mass-transferring BH-WDs originating from a dynamic process. Furthermore, we obtain an initial parameter space (donor-star masses and orbital periods) of progenitors of BH UCXB-GW sources, which can be applied to future population synthesis simulations. By a rough estimation, we predict that LISA would only be able to detect a few BH UCXB-GW sources formed by the BH-MS channel.
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Zhang, S. N. "High Energy Continuum Spectra from X-Ray Binaries." International Astronomical Union Colloquium 163 (1997): 41–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100042482.
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AbstractA variety of high energy (>1 keV) spectra have been observed in recent years from Black Hole (BH) and Neutron Star (NS) X-ray Binaries (XB). Some common physical components exist between BHXBs and NSXBs, resulting in some high energy spectral features. A common component between a BHXB and a weakly magnetized NSXB is the inner accretion disk region extending very close to the surface (for a NS) or the horizon (for a BH). The inner disk radiation can be described by a multi-color blackbody (MCB) spectral model. The surface radiation of the NS can be approximated by a Single Color Blackbody (SCB) spectrum. For a strongly magnetized NSXB, the high energy emission is from its magnetosphere, characterised by a thermal bremsstrahlung (TB) spectrum. In both BHXBs and weakly magnetized NSXBs, a hot electron cloud may exist, producing the hard X-ray power law (photon index −1.5 to −2.0) with thermal cutoff (50–200 keV). It has been recently proposed that a converging flow may be formed near the horizon of a BH, producing a softer power law (photon index about −2.5) without cutoff up to several hundred keV. Based on these concepts we also discuss possible ways to distinguish between BH and NS XBs. Finally we discuss briefly spectral state transitions in both BH and NS XBs.
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Stoop, M., J. van den Eijnden, N. Degenaar, A. Bahramian, S. J. Swihart, J. Strader, F. Jiménez-Ibarra, et al. "Multiwavelength observations reveal a faint candidate black hole X-ray binary in IGR J17285−2922." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 507, no. 1 (July 24, 2021): 330–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2127.
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ABSTRACT IGR J17285−2922 is a known X-ray binary with a low peak 2–10 keV X-ray luminosity of ∼ 1036 erg s−1 during outburst. IGR J17285−2922 exhibited two outbursts in 2003 and 2010 and went into outburst again in 2019. We have monitored this ∼ 4-month long 2019 outburst with Swift in X-ray and the Very Large Array in radio. We have also obtained four optical spectra with the Gran Telescopio Canarias and Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope, three optical photometry measurements with the Las Cumbres Observatory, and one near-infrared spectrum with the Gemini South telescope. The ratio between its X-ray and radio luminosity is consistent with both samples of neutron star and black hole (BH) X-ray binaries, while the ratio between the X-ray and optical luminosity is consistent with BH X-ray binaries. Studying the evolution of its X-ray power-law index throughout the outburst, we find additional evidence for a BH as compact object. The four optical spectra show no H α emission and the nIR spectrum shows no Brγ emission, suggesting that the donor star could be hydrogen-poor and hence that IGR J17285−2922 might have an ultracompact binary orbit. The shape of the X-ray light curve is well described by an exponential, followed by a linear decay, from which we obtain a relation between the orbital period Porb and the binary mass ratio. We discuss how this relation is consistent with theoretical predictions and known ultracompact X-ray binaries. Lastly, we discuss how the observed properties are reminiscent of short-Porb BH X-ray binaries.
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Romani, Roger W. "The Formation and Evolution of Black-Hole Binaries." Symposium - International Astronomical Union 165 (1996): 93–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0074180900055595.
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The presence of accreting black holes (BH) among the X-ray binaries has been recognized for many years. Traditionally, Cyg X-1 and the handful of other candidates have been thought of as cousins of the HMXB neutron star systems. Recent studies of the soft X-ray transients such as A 0620-00 have, however, shown that the dynamical evidence makes these low-mass systems very strong black-hole candidates. Further, analysis of the eventual end-states of various high-mass X-ray binaries suggest that some could end as observable BH-pulsar binaries, although the first such system is yet to be discovered.
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Vanbeveren, D., N. Mennekens, E. P. J. van den Heuvel, and J. Van Bever. "Evidence from high-mass X-ray binaries that Galactic WR components of WR+O binaries end their life with a supernova explosion." Astronomy & Astrophysics 636 (April 2020): A99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201937253.
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Context. Theoretical population number studies of binaries with at least one black hole (BH) component obviously depend on whether or not BHs receive a (natal) kick during their formation. Aims. Several observational facts seem to indicate that BHs do indeed receive a kick during their formation. In the present paper, we discuss additional evidence of this. Methods. The progenitors of wind-fed high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB) with a BH component (BH HMXB) are WR+OB binaries where the Wolf–Rayet (WR) star will finally collapse and form the BH. Starting from the observed population of WR+OB binaries in the solar neighborhood, we predict the population of wind-fed BH HMXBs as a function of the BH-natal kick. Results. The simulations reveal that when WR stars collapse into a BH with a zero or low kick, we should expect 100 or more wind-fed BH HMXBs in the solar neighborhood, whereas only one is observed (Cyg X-1). We consider this as evidence that either WR components in binaries end their life as a neutron star or that they collapse into BHs, both accompanied by a supernova explosion imparting significant (natal) kicks.
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Shikauchi, Minori, Ataru Tanikawa, and Norita Kawanaka. "Detectability of Black Hole Binaries with Gaia: Dependence on Binary Evolution Models." Astrophysical Journal 928, no. 1 (March 1, 2022): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac5329.
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Abstract The astrometric satellite Gaia is expected to observe noninteracting black hole (BH) binaries with luminous companions (LCs; hereafter BH-LC binaries), a different population from BH X-ray binaries previously discovered. The detectability of BH-LC binaries with Gaia might be dependent on binary evolution models. We investigated the Gaia's detectability of BH-LC binaries formed through isolated binary evolution by means of the binary population synthesis technique and examined its dependence on single and binary star models: supernova models, common envelope (CE) ejection efficiency α, and BH natal kick models. We estimated that 1.1–46 BH-LC binaries can be detected within the five-year observation, and found that α has the largest impact on the detectable number. In each model, observable and intrinsic BH-LC binaries have similar distributions. Therefore, we found three important implications: (1) if the lower BH mass gap is not intrinsic (i.e., 3–5 M ⊙ BHs exist), Gaia will observe ≤5 M ⊙ BHs; (2) we may observe short orbital period binaries with light LCs if CE efficiency is significantly high; and (3) we may be able to identify the existence of natal kick from eccentricity distribution.
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Sadowski, Aleksander, J. Ziółkowski, K. Belczyński, and T. Bulik. "The Missing Population of Be+Black Hole X-Ray Binaries." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 4, S252 (April 2008): 399–403. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921308023302.
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AbstractAt present, 117 Be/neutron star (Be/NS) X-ray binaries (XRBs) are known in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, but not a single Be/black hole (Be/BH) binary was found so far. We carried out the calculations of stellar population synthesis to investigate the case of the apparently missing population of Be/BH XRBs. According to our calculations, the main reason of this disparity is the fact that within the orbital period range where Be XRBs are found (~10 to ~300 days), these systems are formed predominantly with a NS component. The systems with a BH component are formed predominantly with much longer orbital periods and they are not easy to detect.
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Celeste Artale, M., Nicola Giacobbo, Michela Mapelli, and Paolo Esposito. "The High Mass X-ray binaries in star-forming galaxies." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 14, S346 (August 2018): 332–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921318007627.
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AbstractThe high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) provide an exciting framework to investigate the evolution of massive stars and the processes behind binary evolution. HMXBs have shown to be good tracers of recent star formation in galaxies and might be important feedback sources at early stages of the Universe. Furthermore, HMXBs are likely the progenitors of gravitational wave sources (BH–BH or BH–NS binaries that may merge producing gravitational waves). In this work, we investigate the nature and properties of HMXB population in star-forming galaxies. We combine the results from the population synthesis model MOBSE (Giacobbo & Mapelli 2018a) together with galaxy catalogs from EAGLE simulation (Schaye et al. 2015). Therefore, this method describes the HMXBs within their host galaxies in a self-consistent way. We compute the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of HMXBs in star-forming galaxies, showing that this methodology matches the main features of the observed XLF.
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Chen, Hai-Liang, Thomas M. Tauris, Xuefei Chen, and Zhanwen Han. "Does Nature Allow the Formation of Ultra-compact Black Hole X-Ray Binaries via the Accretion-induced Collapse of Neutron Stars?" Astrophysical Journal 951, no. 2 (July 1, 2023): 91. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acd4b8.
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Abstract The formation path to ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) with black hole (BH) accretors is still unclear. In the classical formation scenario, it is difficult to eject the massive envelope of the progenitor star of the BH via the common envelope process. Given that some neutron stars (NSs) in binary systems evidently have birth masses close to ∼2.0 M ⊙, we explore here the possibility that BH-UCXBs may form via the accretion-induced collapse (AIC) of accreting NSs, assuming that these previously evolved in low-mass X-ray binaries to masses all the way up to the maximum limit of an NS. We demonstrate this formation path by modeling a few cases of NS-UCXBs with initial NS masses close to the maximum mass of an NS that evolve into BH-UCXBs after the NS accretes material from its He white dwarf (WD) companion. We follow the evolution of the post-AIC BH-UCXB and, based on simple arguments, we anticipate that there is about one BH-UCXB with an AIC origin and a He WD donor within the current sample of known UCXBs and that two to five such BH-UCXBs may be detected in gravitational waves by LISA. In addition, we find that the X-ray luminosity of NS-UCXBs near their orbital period minimum exceeds ∼1039 erg s−1, and thus, such systems may appear as ultraluminous X-ray sources.
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Chawla, Chirag, Sourav Chatterjee, Katelyn Breivik, Chaithanya Krishna Moorthy, Jeff J. Andrews, and Robyn E. Sanderson. "Gaia May Detect Hundreds of Well-characterized Stellar Black Holes." Astrophysical Journal 931, no. 2 (May 31, 2022): 107. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac60a5.
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Abstract Detection of black holes (BHs) with detached luminous companions (LCs) can be instrumental in connecting the BH properties with their progenitors since the latter can be inferred from the observable properties of the LC. Past studies showed the promise of Gaia astrometry in detecting BH–LC binaries. We build on these studies by (1) initializing the zero-age binary properties based on realistic, metallicity-dependent star formation history in the Milky Way (MW); (2) evolving these binaries to current epoch to generate realistic MW populations of BH–LC binaries; (3) distributing these binaries in the MW, preserving the complex age–metallicity-Galactic position correlations; (4) accounting for extinction and reddening using three-dimensional dust maps; and (5) examining the extended Gaia mission’s ability to resolve BH–LC binaries. We restrict ourselves to detached BH–LC binaries with orbital period P orb ≤ 10 yr such that Gaia can observe at least one full orbit. We find that (1) the extended Gaia mission can astrometrically resolve ∼30–300 detached BH–LC binaries depending on our assumptions of supernova physics and astrometric detection threshold; (2) Gaia’s astrometry alone can indicate BH candidates for ∼10–100 BH–LC binaries by constraining the dark primary mass ≥3 M ⊙; and (3) distributions of observables, including orbital periods, eccentricities, and component masses, are sensitive to the adopted binary evolution model and hence can directly inform binary evolution models. Finally, we comment on the potential to further characterize these BH binaries through radial velocity measurements and observation of X-ray counterparts.
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Marino, A., J. Malzac, M. Del Santo, S. Migliari, R. Belmont, T. Di Salvo, D. M. Russell, et al. "Testing jet geometries and disc–jet coupling in the neutron star LMXB 4U 0614 + 091 with the internal shocks model." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 498, no. 3 (August 24, 2020): 3351–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2570.
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ABSTRACT Multiwavelength spectral energy distributions of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) in the hard state are determined by the emission from a jet, for frequencies up to mid-infrared, and emission from the accretion flow in the optical to X-ray range. In the last years, the flat radio-to-mid-IR spectra of black hole (BH) X-ray binaries was described using the internal shocks model, which assumes that the fluctuations in the velocity of the ejecta along the jet are driven by the fluctuations in the accretion flow, described by the X-ray power density spectrum (PDS). In this work, we attempt to apply this model for the first time to a neutron star (NS) LMXB, i.e. 4U 0614 + 091. We used the multiwavelength data set obtained in 2006, comprising data from radio to X-ray, and applied a model that includes an irradiated disc model for the accretion flow and an updated version of the internal shocks code for the ejection. The new version of the code allows to change the geometry of the jet for the case of non-conical jets. Only two alternative scenarios provide a satisfactory description of the data: using the X-ray PDS but in a non-conical geometry for the jet, or either using a conical geometry but with a ‘flicker-noise’ PDS. Both scenarios would imply some differences with the results obtained with similar models on BH X-ray binaries, shedding light on the possibility that jets in NS and BH binaries might somehow have a different geometry or a different coupling with the accretion flow.
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Fabbiano, G. "Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources: an Observational Review." International Astronomical Union Colloquium 194 (July 2004): 46–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100151863.
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AbstractUltraluminous X-ray Sources (ULXs) are, as suggested by their name, extremely luminous and rare X-ray emitting objects found in galaxies. Because of their luminosity, it has been suggested that they may be powered by accretion onto a black hole (BH) of a few 100 M⊙, more massive than what one would expect to originate from normal stellar evolution. Alternative models include young supernova remnants (SNRs) beamed emission from normal BH X-ray binaries (XRB) with high accretion rates, and relativistically beamed XRB omission. The observational evidence on ULXs suggests that while most of them are likely to be compact accreting objects, there is no clear unique evidence pointing either to the beamed XRB model or to accretion onto a very massive BH. It is possible that what we call ULXs are a heterogeneous family of X-ray sources.
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Klencki, Jakub, and Gijs Nelemans. "High mass X-ray binaries as progenitors of gravitational wave sources." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 14, S346 (August 2018): 417–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921318008037.
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AbstractX-ray binaries with black hole (BH) accretors and massive star donors at short orbital periods of a few days can evolve into close binary BH (BBH) systems that merge within the Hubble time. From an observational point of view, upon the Roche-lobe overflow such systems will most likely appear as ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs). To study this connection, we compute the mass transfer phase in systems with BH accretors and massive star donors (M > 15 Mʘ) at various orbital separations and metallicities. In the case of core-hydrogen and core-helium burning donors (cases A and C of mass transfer) we find the typical duration of super-Eddington mass transfer of up to 106 and 105 yr, with rates of 10−6 and 10−5Mʘ yr-1, respectively. Given that roughly 0.5 ULXs are found per unit of star formation rate, we estimate the rate of BBH mergers from stable mass transfer evolution to be at most 10 Gpc−3 yr−1.
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Gelino, Dawn M. "Measuring the Masses of Compact Objects in Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries." International Astronomical Union Colloquium 194 (2004): 214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100152601.
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Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) contain compact, black hole (BH) or neutron star (NS) primaries, and cool, low-mass secondary stars. We measure the orbital inclination of the system in quiescence by modeling infrared (IR) ellipsoidal variations from the secondary star in order to determine the compact object mass. I present our results for a few LMXBs, including the first BH that appears to conclusively fall in the 3-5 M⊙ range.
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Rueda, Jorge A., Y. Aimuratov, U. Barres de Almeida, L. Becerra, C. L. Bianco, C. Cherubini, S. Filippi, et al. "The binary systems associated with short and long gamma-ray bursts and their detectability." International Journal of Modern Physics D 26, no. 09 (April 16, 2017): 1730016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0218271817300166.
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Short and long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been recently sub-classified into seven families according to the binary nature of their progenitors. For short GRBs, mergers of neutron star binaries (NS–NS) or neutron star-black hole binaries (NS-BH) are proposed. For long GRBs, the induced gravitational collapse (IGC) paradigm proposes a tight binary system composed of a carbon–oxygen core (CO[Formula: see text]) and a NS companion. The explosion of the CO[Formula: see text] as supernova (SN) triggers a hypercritical accretion process onto the NS companion which might reach the critical mass for the gravitational collapse to a BH. Thus, this process can lead either to a NS-BH or to NS–NS depending on whether or not the accretion is sufficient to induce the collapse of the NS into a BH. We shall discuss for the above compact object binaries: (1) the role of the NS structure and the equation-of-state on their final fate; (2) their occurrence rates as inferred from the X and gamma-ray observations; (3) the expected number of detections of their gravitational wave (GW) emission by the Advanced LIGO interferometer.
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Connors, Riley M. T. "Radiatively inefficient accretion in short-period black hole low mass X-ray binaries." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 9, S303 (October 2013): 456–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921314001136.
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AbstractThere is statistical evidence for a dearth of short-period (Porb < 4h) black hole (BH) low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) in the Galaxy. At short periods accretion onto the central object (be it a BH) may become inefficient because the cooling timescale of the gas is greater than the accretion timescale (this is the well known ADAF model). The nature of the switch is important in terms of the outburst timescales of transient sources. The switch may be sharp or occur smoothly over time. I show that the dearth can be explained if the switch to inefficiency occurs sharply at some fraction of the Eddington luminosity of the BH (fLEdd).
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Banerjee, Srimanta, Marat Gilfanov, Sudip Bhattacharyya, and Rashid Sunyaev. "Observing imprints of black hole event horizon on X-ray spectra." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 498, no. 4 (September 25, 2020): 5353–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2788.
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ABSTRACT A fundamental difference between a neutron star (NS) and a black hole (BH) is the absence of a physical surface in the latter. For this reason, any remaining kinetic energy of the matter accreting on to a BH is advected inside its event horizon. In the case of an NS, on the contrary, accreting material is decelerated on the NS surface, and its kinetic energy is eventually radiated away. Copious soft photons produced by the NS surface will affect the properties of the Comptonized component dominating spectra of X-ray binaries in the hard state. Thus, parameters of the Comptonized spectra – the electron temperature kTe and the Compton y-parameter, could serve as an important tool for distinguishing BHs from NSs. In this paper, we systematically analyse heretofore the largest sample of spectra from the BH and NS X-ray binaries in the hard state for this purpose, using archival RXTE/PCA and RXTE/HEXTE observations. We find that the BHs and NSs occupy distinctly different regions in the y − kTe plane with NSs being characterized by systematically lower values of y-parameter and electron temperature. Due to the shape of the boundary between BHs and NSs on the y − kTe plane, their 1D y and kTe distributions have some overlap. A cleaner one parameter diagnostic of the nature of the compact object in X-ray binaries is provided by the Compton amplification factor A, with the boundary between BHs and NSs lying at A ≈ 3.5–4. This is by far the most significant detection of the imprint of the event horizon on the X-ray spectra for stable stellar-mass BHs.
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El-Badry, Kareem, Hans-Walter Rix, Yvette Cendes, Antonio C. Rodriguez, Charlie Conroy, Eliot Quataert, Keith Hawkins, et al. "A red giant orbiting a black hole." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 521, no. 3 (March 23, 2023): 4323–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad799.
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ABSTRACT We report spectroscopic and photometric follow-up of a dormant black hole (BH) candidate from Gaia DR3. The system, which we call Gaia BH2, contains a ∼1 M⊙ red giant and a dark companion with mass $M_2 = 8.9\pm 0.3\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ that is very likely a BH. The orbital period, Porb = 1277 d, is much longer than that of any previously studied BH binary. Our radial velocity (RV) follow-up over a 7-month period spans >90 per cent of the orbit’s RV range and is in excellent agreement with the Gaia solution. UV imaging and high-resolution optical spectra rule out plausible luminous companions that could explain the orbit. The star is a bright (G = 12.3), slightly metal-poor ($\rm [Fe/H]=-0.22$) low-luminosity giant ($T_{\rm eff}=4600\, \rm K$; $R = 7.8\, R_{\odot }$; $\log \left[g/\left({\rm cm\, s^{-2}}\right)\right] = 2.6$). The binary’s orbit is moderately eccentric (e = 0.52). The giant is enhanced in α-elements, with $\rm [\alpha /Fe] = +0.26$, but the system’s Galactocentric orbit is typical of the thin disc. We obtained X-ray and radio non-detections of the source near periastron, which support BH accretion models in which the net accretion rate at the horizon is much lower than the Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton rate. At a distance of 1.16 kpc, Gaia BH2 is the second-nearest known BH, after Gaia BH1. Its orbit – like that of Gaia BH1 – seems too wide to have formed through common envelope evolution. Gaia BH1 and BH2 have orbital periods at opposite edges of the Gaia DR3 sensitivity curve, perhaps hinting at a bimodal intrinsic period distribution for wide BH binaries. Dormant BH binaries like Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2 significantly outnumber their close, X-ray bright cousins, but their formation pathways remain uncertain.
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Baldassare, Vivienne F., Nicholas C. Stone, Adi Foord, Elena Gallo, and Jeremiah P. Ostriker. "Massive Black Hole Formation in Dense Stellar Environments: Enhanced X-Ray Detection Rates in High-velocity Dispersion Nuclear Star Clusters." Astrophysical Journal 929, no. 1 (April 1, 2022): 84. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac5f51.
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Abstract We analyze Chandra X-ray Observatory imaging of 108 galaxies hosting nuclear star clusters (NSCs) to search for signatures of massive black holes (BHs). NSCs are extremely dense stellar environments with conditions that can theoretically facilitate massive BH formation. Recent work by Stone et al. finds that sufficiently dense NSCs should be unstable to the runaway growth of a stellar-mass BH into a massive BH via tidal captures. Furthermore, there is a velocity dispersion threshold (40 km s−1) above which NSCs should inevitably form a massive BH. To provide an observational test of these theories, we measure X-ray emission from NSCs and compare it to the measured velocity dispersion and tidal capture runaway timescale. We find that NSCs above the 40 km s−1 threshold are X-ray detected at roughly twice the rate of those below (after accounting for contamination from X-ray binaries). These results are consistent with a scenario in which dense, high-velocity NSCs can form massive BHs, providing a formation pathway that does not rely on conditions found only at high redshift.
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Xie, Fu-Guo. "Radiative efficiency of hot accretion flow and the radio/X-ray correlation in X-ray binaries." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 10, S312 (August 2014): 139–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921315007723.
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AbstractSignificant progresses have been made since the discovery of hot accretion flow, a theory successfully applied to the low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) and black hole (BH) X-ray binaries (BHBs) in their hard states. Motivated by these updates, we re-investigate the radiative efficiency of hot accretion flow. We find that, the brightest regime of hot accretion flow shows a distinctive property, i.e. it has a constant efficiency independent of accretion rates, similar to the standard thin disk. For less bright regime, the efficiency has a steep positive correlation with the accretion rate, while for faint regime typical of advection-dominated accretion flow, the correlation is shadower. This result can naturally explain the observed two distinctive correlations between radio and X-ray luminosities in black hole X-ray binaries. The key difference in systems with distinctive correlations could be the viscous parameter, which determines the critical luminosity of different accretion modes.
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Tursunov, Arman, Martin Kološ, and Zdeněk Stuchlík. "Constraints on Cosmic Ray Acceleration Capabilities of Black Holes in X-ray Binaries and Active Galactic Nuclei." Symmetry 14, no. 3 (February 26, 2022): 482. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/sym14030482.
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Rotating black holes (BHs) are likely the largest energy reservoirs in the Universe as predicted by BH thermodynamics, while cosmic rays (CRs) are the most energetic among particles detected on Earth. Magnetic fields surrounding BHs combined with strong gravity effects, thanks to the spacetime symmetries, turn the BHs into powerful accelerators of charged particles. At the same time, in the age of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy, BHs and their environments have not yet been probed with CR messengers, despite being observed across most of the electromagnetic spectrum, and neutrino and gravitational waves. In this paper, we probe the acceleration capabilities of BHs in 8 galactic X-ray binaries and 25 local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) within 100 Mpc, based on the ultra-efficient regime of the magnetic Penrose process of a BH energy extraction combined with observational data. We find that the maximum energy of the galactic BHs can reach only up to the knee of the CR spectrum, including supermassive BH Sgr A* at the Galactic Center. On the other hand, for supermassive BHs in AGNs, we find that the mean energy of primary CRs is of the order of 1019 eV. It is therefore likely that local supermassive BHs give sufficient contribution to the ankle—a sharp change in the slope of the cosmic ray spectrum around 1018.6 eV energy. We also discuss the energy losses of primary CRs close to the acceleration zones. In the galactic BH cases, it is likely dominated by synchrotron radiation losses.
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Atri, P., J. C. A. Miller-Jones, A. Bahramian, R. M. Plotkin, P. G. Jonker, G. Nelemans, T. J. Maccarone, et al. "Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 489, no. 3 (August 30, 2019): 3116–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2335.
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Abstract We use very long baseline interferometry to measure the proper motions of three black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). Using these results together with data from the literature and Gaia DR2 to collate the best available constraints on proper motion, parallax, distance, and systemic radial velocity of 16 BHXBs, we determined their three-dimensional Galactocentric orbits. We extended this analysis to estimate the probability distribution for the potential kick velocity (PKV) a BHXB system could have received on formation. Constraining the kicks imparted to BHXBs provides insight into the birth mechanism of black holes (BHs). Kicks also have a significant effect on BH–BH merger rates, merger sites, and binary evolution, and can be responsible for spin–orbit misalignment in BH binary systems. 75 per cent of our systems have potential kicks $\gt 70\, \rm {km\,s^{-1}}$. This suggests that strong kicks and hence spin–orbit misalignment might be common among BHXBs, in agreement with the observed quasi-periodic X-ray variability in their power density spectra. We used a Bayesian hierarchical methodology to analyse the PKV distribution of the BHXB population, and suggest that a unimodal Gaussian model with a mean of 107 $\pm \,\,16\, \rm {km\,s^{-1}}$ is a statistically favourable fit. Such relatively high PKVs would also reduce the number of BHs likely to be retained in globular clusters. We found no significant correlation between the BH mass and PKV, suggesting a lack of correlation between BH mass and the BH birth mechanism. Our python code allows the estimation of the PKV for any system with sufficient observational constraints.
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Rueda, J. A., R. Ruffini, J. F. Rodriguez, M. Muccino, Y. Aimuratov, U. Barres de Almeida, L. Becerra, et al. "The binary progenitors of short and long GRBs and their gravitational-wave emission." EPJ Web of Conferences 168 (2018): 01006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201816801006.
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We have sub-classified short and long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) into seven families according to the binary nature of their progenitors. Short GRBs are produced in mergers of neutron-star binaries (NS-NS) or neutron star-black hole binaries (NS-BH). Long GRBs are produced via the induced gravitational collapse (IGC) scenario occurring in a tight binary system composed of a carbon-oxygen core (COcore) and a NS companion. The COcore explodes as type Ic supernova (SN) leading to a hypercritical accretion process onto the NS: if the accretion is sufficiently high the NS reaches the critical mass and collapses forming a BH, otherwise a massive NS is formed. Therefore long GRBs can lead either to NS-BH or to NS-NS binaries depending on the entity of the accretion. We discuss for the above compact-object binaries: 1) the role of the NS structure and the nuclear equation of state; 2) the occurrence rates obtained from X and gamma-rays observations; 3) the predicted annual number of detections by the Advanced LIGO interferometer of their gravitational-wave emission.
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Liu, Xiang, Ning Chang, Xin Wang, and Qi Yuan. "The Origin of Radio Emission in Black Hole X-ray Binaries." Galaxies 9, no. 4 (October 17, 2021): 78. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/galaxies9040078.
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We studied the relation of accretion-jet power and disk luminosity, especially the jet efficiencies and disk radiative efficiencies for different accretion disks as well as black hole (BH) spin, in order to explore the origin of radio emission in black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). We found that jet efficiency increases more rapidly (efficient) than the nearly constant disk radiative efficiency for thin disk component in high accretion regime, which could account for the steep track (μ>1) in the observed radio and X-ray luminosity relations (LR∝LXμ), but the thin disk component may not be able to explain the standard track (μ≈0.6) in the BHXBs. For hot accretion flows (HAF), the resulting jet efficiency changes along with the large range of accretions from quiescent state to nearly Eddington state, which could account for the standard track in the BHXBs. The BH spin-jet is discussed for the magnetic arrested disk (MAD) state; in this state, the spin-jet power might contribute to a linear correlation between jet power and mass accretion rate for a given source. More accurate observations are required to test the results.
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Sonbas, E., K. Mohamed, K. S. Dhuga, and E. Göğüş. "A temporal scale to track the spectral transitions in low-mass X-ray binaries." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 511, no. 2 (November 23, 2021): 2535–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3352.
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ABSTRACT The results of a temporal analysis of observations for a sample of nine low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are presented. Of these sources, five host a neutron star (NS) primary (4U1608−52, Aql X-1, 4U1705−44, GX17+2-, and Cyg X-2), and four host a black hole (BH) (GX339-4, XTE J1859+226, H1743−322, and MAXI J1659−152). The NS group includes three Atolls and two Z-type sources. We utilized archival Proportional Counter Array (PCA)/RXTE data to construct high-resolution light-curves. A wavelet transform of the light curves is deployed to extract a minimal time-scale (MTS) associated with the spectral state of the sources. The MTS, together with the fractional root-mean-square (rms) and hardness ratios, is used to construct RMS–MTS and hardness–MTS diagrams that enable a direct comparison of the evolution of spectral transitions in the target sources. Observations with high fractional rms and high hardness cluster in a broad region occupied jointly by BH and NS sources. For low fractional rms observations, the Atolls exhibit large MTS whereas Z-type sources exhibit small MTS. This new feature raises the possibility of discriminating between these two types of sources. Moreover, in the hardness–MTS plane, BH sources are the sole occupiers of the low-hardness and small-MTS domain thus potentially signalling a unique property for distinguishing BH and NS hosts in LMXBs.
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Shen, Pei-Xin, and Wei-Min Gu. "Accretion disc–jet couplings in X-ray binaries." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 495, no. 2 (May 15, 2020): 2408–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1349.
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ABSTRACT When the matter from a companion star is accreted towards the central compact accretor, i.e. a black hole (BH) or a neutron star (NS), an accretion disc and a jet outflow will form, providing bight X-ray and radio emission, which is known as X-ray binaries (XRBs). In the low/hard state, there exist disc–jet couplings in XRBs, but it remains uncertain whether the jet power comes from the disc or the central accretor. Moreover, black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs) have different properties compared with neutron star X-ray binaries (NSXRBs): quiescent BHXRBs are typically two to three orders of magnitude less luminous than NSXRBs in X-ray, whereas BHXRBs are more radio loud than NSXRBs. In observations, an empirical correlation has been established between radio and X-ray luminosity, $L_{\rm R} \propto L_{\rm X}^b$, where b ∼ 0.7 for BHXRBs and b ∼ 1.4 for non-pulsating NSXRBs. However, there are some outliers of BHXRBs showing unusually steep correlation as NSXRBs at higher luminosities. In this work, under the assumption that the origin of jet power is related to the internal energy of the inner disc, we apply our magnetized, radiatively efficient thin disc model and the well-known radiatively inefficient accretion flow model to NSXRBs and BHXRBs. We find that the observed radio/X-ray correlations in XRBs can be well understood by the disc–jet couplings.
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Shi, Chang Sheng, Shuang Nan Zhang, and Xiang Dong Li. "The possible origin of high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in low mass X-ray binaries." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 14, S346 (August 2018): 277–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921319001832.
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AbstractWe summarize our model that high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) both in the neutron star low mass X-ray binaries (NS-LMXBs) and black hole LMXBs may originate from magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves. Based on the MHD model in NS-LMXBs, the explanation of the parallel tracks is presented. The slowly varying effective surface magnetic field of a NS leads to the shift of parallel tracks of QPOs in NS-LMXBs. In the study of kilohertz (kHz) QPOs in NS-LMXBs, we obtain a simple power-law relation between the kHz QPO frequencies and the combined parameter of accretion rate and the effective surface magnetic field. Based on the MHD model in BH-LMXBs, we suggest that two stable modes of the Alfv́en waves in the accretion disks with a toroidal magnetic field may lead to the double high frequency QPOs. This model, in which the effect of the general relativity in BH-LMXBs is considered, naturally accounts for the 3:2 relation for the upper and lower frequencies of the QPOs and the relation between the BH mass and QPO frequency.
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Liu, Zhu, He-Yang Liu, Huaqing Cheng, Erlin Qiao, and Weimin Yuan. "The large amplitude X-ray variability in NGC 7589: possible evidence for accretion mode transition." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 492, no. 2 (December 23, 2019): 2335–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3579.
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ABSTRACT We report the discovery of large amplitude X-ray variability in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 7589, and present possible observational evidence for accretion mode transition in this source. Long-term X-ray flux variations by a factor of more than 50 are found using X-ray data obtained by Swift/X-Ray Telescope and XMM–Newton over 17 yr. Results of long-term monitoring data in the UV, optical, and infrared bands over ∼20 yr are also presented. The Eddington ratio λEdd increased from 10−3 to ∼0.13, suggesting a transition of the accretion flow from an advection dominated accretion flow to a standard thin accretion disc. Further evidence supporting the thin disc in the high-luminosity state is found by the detection of a significant soft X-ray component in the X-ray spectrum. The temperature of this component ($\sim 19^{+15}_{-7}$ eV, fitted with a blackbody model) is in agreement with the predicted temperature of the inner region for a thin disc around a black hole (BH) with mass of ∼107M⊙. These results may indicate that NGC 7589 had experienced accretion mode transition over a time-scale of a few years, suggesting the idea that similar accretion processes are at work for massive BH and BH X-ray binaries.
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Qin, Ying, Xinwen Shu, Shuangxi Yi, and Yuan-Zhu Wang. "Hypercritical Accretion for Black Hole High Spin in Cygnus X-1." Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics 22, no. 3 (February 25, 2022): 035023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1674-4527/ac4ca4.
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Abstract Recent observations of AdLIGO and Virgo have shown that the spin measurements in binary black hole (BH) systems are typically small, which is consistent with the predictions by the classical isolated binary evolution channel. In this standard formation channel, the progenitor of the first-born BH is assumed to have efficient angular momentum transport. The BH spins in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), however, have consistently been found to be extremely high. In order to explain the high BH spins, the inefficient angular momentum transport inside the BH progenitor is required. This requirement, however, is incompatible with the current understanding of conventional efficient angular momentum transport mechanism. We find that this tension can be highly alleviated as long as the hypercritical accretion is allowed. We show that, for a case study of Cygnus X-1, the hypercritical accretion cannot only be a good solution for the inconsistent assumption upon the angular momentum transport within massive stars, but match its other properties reported recently.
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Fragione, Giacomo, Brian D. Metzger, Rosalba Perna, Nathan W. C. Leigh, and Bence Kocsis. "Electromagnetic transients and gravitational waves from white dwarf disruptions by stellar black holes in triple systems." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 495, no. 1 (May 13, 2020): 1061–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1192.
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ABSTRACT Mergers of binaries comprising compact objects can give rise to explosive transient events, heralding the birth of exotic objects that cannot be formed through single-star evolution. Using a large number of direct N-body simulations, we explore the possibility that a white dwarf (WD) is dynamically driven to tidal disruption by a stellar-mass black hole (BH) as a consequence of the joint effects of gravitational wave (GW) emission and Lidov–Kozai oscillations imposed by the tidal field of an outer tertiary companion orbiting the inner BH–WD binary. We explore the sensitivity of our results to the distributions of natal kick velocities imparted to the BH and WD upon formation, adiabatic mass loss, semimajor axes and eccentricities of the triples, and stellar-mass ratios. We find rates of WD–tidal disruption events (TDEs) in the range 1.2 × 10−3 − 1.4 Gpc−3 yr−1 for z ≤ 0.1, rarer than stellar TDEs in triples by a factor of ∼3–30. The uncertainty in the TDE rates may be greatly reduced in the future using GW observations of Galactic binaries and triples with LISA. WD–TDEs may give rise to high-energy X-ray or gamma-ray transients of duration similar to long gamma-ray bursts but lacking the signatures of a core-collapse supernova, while being accompanied by a supernova-like optical transient that lasts for only days. WD–BH and WD–NS binaries will also emit GWs in the LISA band before the TDE. The discovery and identification of triple-induced WD–TDE events by future time domain surveys and/or GWs could enable the study of the demographics of BHs in nearby galaxies.
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Jiang, Long, Wen-Cong Chen, Thomas M. Tauris, Bernhard Müller, and Xiang-Dong Li. "Simulations of the Progenitors of Black Hole–Neutron Star Gravitational Wave Sources." Astrophysical Journal 945, no. 2 (March 1, 2023): 90. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acba96.
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Abstract Recent discoveries of gravitational wave (GW) events most likely originating from black hole (BH) + neutron star (NS) mergers reveal the existence of BH+NS binaries. The formation of BH+NS binaries and their merger rates through isolated binary evolution have been investigated extensively with population synthesis simulations. A detailed stellar evolution modeling of the formation of this population, however, is missing from the literature. In this work, we create the first complete 1D model of more than 30 BH+NS progenitor systems, which are calculated self-consistently until collapse of the iron core with infall velocity exceeding 1000 km s−1. Focusing on the progenitors of BH–NS GW sources, we apply the MESA code starting from a post-common-envelope binary with short orbital period (<1 day) consisting of a BH and a zero-age main-sequence helium star that experiences stable mass transfer. The (ultra)stripped supernova explosion is subsequently modeled using a semianalytic method to reveal final remnant masses and momentum kicks. Three example systems (A, B, and C) eventually evolve into BH+NS binaries with component masses of (M BH, M NS) = (8.80, 1.53), (8.92, 1.45), and (5.71, 1.34) M ⊙, respectively. These NS masses could be significantly larger depending on the exact mass cut during the supernova explosion. These BH+NS systems are likely to merge and produce GW events within a Hubble time. System C is a potential progenitor of a GW200115-like event, while Systems A and B are possible candidates for a GW200105-like event and may represent the final destiny of the X-ray binary SS 433.
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Hoang, Bao-Minh, Smadar Naoz, and Melodie Sloneker. "Binary Natal Kicks in the Galactic Center: X-Ray Binaries, Hypervelocity Stars, and Gravitational Waves." Astrophysical Journal 934, no. 1 (July 1, 2022): 54. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac7787.
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Abstract Theoretical and observational studies suggest that stellar binaries exist in large numbers in galactic nuclei like our own Galactic Center. Neutron stars (NSs), and debatedly, black holes and white dwarfs, receive natal kicks at birth. In this work, we study the effect of two successive natal kicks on a population of stellar binaries orbiting the massive black hole (MBH) in our Galactic Center. These natal kicks can significantly alter the binary orbit in a variety of ways, and also the orbit of the binary around the MBH. We found a variety of dynamical outcomes resulting from these kicks, including a steeper cusp of single NSs relative to the initial binary distribution. Furthermore, hypervelocity star and binary candidates, including hypervelocity X-ray binaries, are a common outcome of natal kicks. In addition, we show that the population of X-ray binaries in the Galactic Center can be used as a diagnostic for the BH natal kick distribution. Finally, we estimate the rate of gravitational wave events triggered by natal kicks, including binary mergers and EMRIs.
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Singh, Chandra B., Santanu Mondal, and David Garofalo. "Low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations and shocks in accretion on to black hole." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 510, no. 1 (December 2, 2021): 807–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3471.
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ABSTRACT Low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (LFQPOs) have been routinely observed in black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs). These LFQPOs can be explained by axisymmetric shock oscillation in accretion flow around a rotating black hole. We address the physical origin of Type-C LFQPOs in BHXRBs observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite considering a minimum number of free parameters, namely, specific energy and specific angular momentum of the infalling matter for a given set of BH mass and spin parameter. We apply the solution for a large number of BH candidates to further strengthen the scenario of an anticorrelation between the QPO frequency and the location of the shock. Our study also confirms that Compton cooling can be sufficient to explain the observed QPOs.
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Mallick, L., D. R. Wilkins, W. N. Alston, A. Markowitz, B. De Marco, M. L. Parker, A. M. Lohfink, and C. S. Stalin. "Discovery of soft and hard X-ray time lags in low-mass AGNs." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 503, no. 3 (March 5, 2021): 3775–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab627.
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ABSTRACT The scaling relations between the black hole (BH) mass and soft lag properties for both active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and BH X-ray binaries (BHXRBs) suggest the same underlying physical mechanism at work in accreting BH systems spanning a broad range of mass. However, the low-mass end of AGNs has never been explored in detail. In this work, we extend the existing scaling relations to lower mass AGNs, which serve as anchors between the normal-mass AGNs and BHXRBs. For this purpose, we construct a sample of low-mass AGNs ($M_{\rm BH}\lt 3\times 10^{6} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) from the XMM–Newton archive and measure frequency-resolved time-delays between the soft (0.3–1 keV) and hard (1–4 keV) X-ray emissions. We report that the soft band lags behind the hard band emission at high frequencies ∼[1.3−2.6] × 10−3 Hz, which is interpreted as a sign of reverberation from the inner accretion disc in response to the direct coronal emission. At low frequencies (∼[3−8] × 10−4 Hz), the hard-band lags behind the soft-band variations, which we explain in the context of the inward propagation of luminosity fluctuations through the corona. Assuming a lamppost geometry for the corona, we find that the X-ray source of the sample extends at an average height and radius of ∼10rg and ∼6rg, respectively. Our results confirm that the scaling relations between the BH mass and soft lag amplitude/frequency derived for higher mass AGNs can safely extrapolate to lower mass AGNs, and the accretion process is indeed independent of the BH mass.
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Dong, Ai-Jun, Qingwen Wu, and Xiao-Feng Cao. "The X-ray spectral evolution and radio–X-ray correlation in radiatively efficient black-hole sources." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 10, S312 (August 2014): 249–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921315007942.
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AbstractWe explore X-ray spectral evolution and radio–X-ray correlation simultaneously for four X-ray binaries (XRBs). We find that hard X-ray photon indices, Γ, are anti- and positively correlated to X-ray fluxes when the X-ray flux, F3–9keV, is below and above a critical flux, FX,crit, which may be regulated by ADAF and disk-corona respectively. We find that the data points with anti-correlation of Γ-F3–9keV follow the universal radio–X-ray correlation of FR ∝ FXb (b ~ 0.5-0.7), while the data points with positive X-ray spectral evolution follow a steeper radio–X-ray correlation (b ~ 1.4, the so-called ‘outliers track’). The bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) share similar X-ray spectral evolution and radio–X-ray correlation as XRBs in ‘outliers’ track, and we present a new fundamental plane of log LR=1.59+0.28−0.22 log LX−0.22+0.19−0.20 log MBH−28.97+0.45−0.45 for these radiatively efficient BH sources.
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Dönmez, Orhan. "The dynamical evolution of the black hole–torus system perturbed by a Bondi–Hoyle accretion." International Journal of Modern Physics D 23, no. 05 (April 30, 2014): 1450050. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0218271814500503.
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The existence of the black hole (BH)–torus system has been given a considerable attention to explain the variability of X-ray and Gamma-ray (γ-ray) data. The perturbation of this system by a Bondi–Hoyle accretion leads to an instability which might be used to understand the dynamics of X-ray binaries and γ-ray burst (GRB). The instability is of a Papaloizou–Pringle type and the fastest growing mode of this instability corresponds to m = 1. In this paper, we put forward a scenario in which the stable BH–torus system is perturbed by a matter which is coming from red giants due to the stellar winds. We model the perturbed BH–torus system to find out how the dynamics of the system changes depending on the rest-mass density of the initial perturbation and to estimate the maximum rest-mass density of the perturbation, ρp, which creates a quasi-periodic oscillation without having a shock cone around the BH for fixed ρc (ρc is the maximum rest-mass density of the initial stable torus). We have found that the perturbation with a rest-mass density, ρp < 100ρ atm (ρatm is the rest-mass density of the atmosphere), for any Mach number is the best model for the formation of the oscillating torus around the BH. Otherwise, the shock cone appears in the downstream region of the accreted domain. It is also found that the instability is observed while ρp < 100ρ atm .
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Wolter, Anna, Guido Consolandi, Marcella Longhetti, Marco Landoni, and Andrea Bianco. "The Cartwheel galaxy as a stepping stone for binaries formation." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 14, S346 (August 2018): 297–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921319001157.
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AbstractUltraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are end points of stellar evolution. They are mostly interpreted as binary systems with a massive donor. They are also the most probable progenitors for BH-BH, and even more, for BH-NS coalescence. Parameters of ULXs are not know and need to be better determined, in particular the link with the metallicity of the environment which has been invoked frequently but not proven strongly. We have tackled this problem by using a MUSE DEEP mosaic of the Cartwheel galaxy and applying a Monte Carlo code that jointly fits spectroscopy and photometry. We measure the metallicity of the emitting gas in the ring and at the positions of X-ray sources by constructing spatially resolved emission line ratio maps and BPT diagnostic maps. The Carthweel is the archetypal ring galaxy and the location and formation time of new stellar populations is easier to reconstruct than in more normal galaxies. It has the largest population of ULXs ever observed in a single galaxy (16 sources have been classified as ULXs in Chandra and XMM-Newton data). The Cartwheel galaxy is therefore the ideal laboratory to study the relation between Star Formation (SF Rates and SF History) and number of ULXs and also their final fate. We find that the age of the stellar population in the outer ring is consistent with being produced in the impact (≤300Myr) and that the metallicity is mostly sub-solar, even if solutions can be found with a solar metallicity that account for most observed properties. The findings for the Cartwheel will be a testbed for further modelisation of binary formation and evolution paths.
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Rueda, J. A., R. Ruffini, and Y. Wang. "Induced Gravitational Collapse, Binary-Driven Hypernovae, Long Gramma-ray Bursts and Their Connection with Short Gamma-ray Bursts." Universe 5, no. 5 (May 9, 2019): 110. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/universe5050110.
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There is increasing observational evidence that short and long Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) originate in different subclasses, each one with specific energy release, spectra, duration, etc, and all of them with binary progenitors. The binary components involve carbon-oxygen cores (CO core ), neutron stars (NSs), black holes (BHs), and white dwarfs (WDs). We review here the salient features of the specific class of binary-driven hypernovae (BdHNe) within the induced gravitational collapse (IGC) scenario for the explanation of the long GRBs. The progenitor is a CO core -NS binary. The supernova (SN) explosion of the CO core , producing at its center a new NS ( ν NS), triggers onto the NS companion a hypercritical, i.e., highly super-Eddington accretion process, accompanied by a copious emission of neutrinos. By accretion the NS can become either a more massive NS or reach the critical mass for gravitational collapse with consequent formation of a BH. We summarize the results on this topic from the first analytic estimates in 2012 all the way up to the most recent three-dimensional (3D) smoothed-particle-hydrodynamics (SPH) numerical simulations in 2018. Thanks to these results it is by now clear that long GRBs are richer and more complex systems than thought before. The SN explosion and its hypercritical accretion onto the NS explain the X-ray precursor. The feedback of the NS accretion, the NS collapse and the BH formation produce asymmetries in the SN ejecta, implying the necessity of a 3D analysis for GRBs. The newborn BH, the surrounding matter and the magnetic field inherited from the NS, comprises the inner engine from which the GRB electron-positron ( e + e − ) plasma and the high-energy emission are initiated. The impact of the e + e − on the asymmetric ejecta transforms the SN into a hypernova (HN). The dynamics of the plasma in the asymmetric ejecta leads to signatures depending on the viewing angle. This explains the ultrarelativistic prompt emission in the MeV domain and the mildly-relativistic flares in the early afterglow in the X-ray domain. The feedback of the ν NS pulsar-like emission on the HN explains the X-ray late afterglow and its power-law regime. All of the above is in contrast with a simple GRB model attempting to explain the entire GRB with the kinetic energy of an ultrarelativistic jet extending through all of the above GRB phases, as traditionally proposed in the “collapsar-fireball” model. In addition, BdHNe in their different flavors lead to ν NS-NS or ν NS-BH binaries. The gravitational wave emission drives these binaries to merge producing short GRBs. It is thus established a previously unthought interconnection between long and short GRBs and their occurrence rates. This needs to be accounted for in the cosmological evolution of binaries within population synthesis models for the formation of compact-object binaries.
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Bellavita, Candela, Federico García, Mariano Méndez, and Konstantinos Karpouzas. "vKompth: a variable Comptonization model for low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in black hole X-ray binaries." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 515, no. 2 (July 23, 2022): 2099–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac1922.
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ABSTRACT Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) show strong variability over a broad range of time-scales. The analysis of this variability, in particular of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO), is key to understanding the properties of the innermost regions of the accretion flow in these systems. We present a time-dependent Comptonization model that fits the energy-dependent rms-amplitude and phase-lag spectra of low-frequency QPOs in black hole (BH) LMXBs. We model the accretion disc as a multitemperature blackbody source emitting soft photons that are then Compton upscattered in a spherical corona, including feedback of Comptonized photons that return to the disc. We compare our results with those obtained with a model in which the seed-photons source is a spherical blackbody: at low energies, the time-averaged, rms, and phase-lag spectra are smoother for the disc-blackbody than for a blackbody, while at high energies both models give similar spectra. In general, we find that the rms increases with energy, the slope of the phase-lag spectrum depends strongly on the feedback, while the minimum-lag energy is correlated with the disc temperature. We fit the model to a 4.45-Hz type-B QPO in the BH LMXB MAXI J1438–630 and find statistically better fits and more compatible parameters with the steady-state spectrum than those obtained with a blackbody seed-photons source. Furthermore, we successfully apply the model to the type-C QPO in the BH LMXB GRS 1915 + 105, and thus conclude that this variable-Comptonization model reproduces the rms and phase-lags of both type B and C low-frequency QPOs in BH LMXBs.
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Oh, Kwangmin, C. Y. Hui, K. L. Li, and A. K. H. Kong. "Multi-epoch X-ray imaging of globular cluster M62 with Chandra." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 498, no. 1 (August 17, 2020): 292–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2462.
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ABSTRACT Using archival spectral-imaging data with a total exposure of ∼144 ks obtained by Chandra, 43 X-ray sources are detected within the half-light radius of globular cluster M62 (NGC 6266). Based on the X-ray colour–luminosity diagram or the positional coincidences with known sources, we have classified these sources into different groups of compact binaries including cataclysmic variable (CV), quiescent low-mass X-ray binary (qLMXB), millisecond pulsar, and black hole (BH). Candidates of the X-ray counterparts of 12 CVs, 4 qLMXBs, 2 MSPs, and 1 BH are identified in our analysis. The data used in our analysis consist of two frames separated by 12 yr, which enable us to search for the long-term variability as well as the short-term X-ray flux variability within each observation window. Evidence for the short-term variability and long-term variability have been found in 7 and 12 sources, respectively. For a number of bright sources with X-ray luminosities Lx ≳ 1032 erg s−1, we have characterized their spectral properties in further details. By comparing the X-ray population in M62 with those in several other prototypical globular clusters, we found the proportion of bright sources is larger in M62 that can possibly be a result of their active dynamical formation processes.
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Carotenuto, F., S. Corbel, E. Tremou, T. D. Russell, A. Tzioumis, R. P. Fender, P. A. Woudt, et al. "The hybrid radio/X-ray correlation of the black hole transient MAXI J1348–630." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters 505, no. 1 (May 21, 2021): L58—L63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slab049.
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ABSTRACT Black hole (BH) low mass X-ray binaries in their hard spectral state are found to display two different correlations between the radio emission from the compact jets and the X-ray emission from the inner accretion flow. Here, we present a large data set of quasi-simultaneous radio and X-ray observations of the recently discovered accreting BH MAXI J1348–630 during its 2019/2020 outburst. Our results span almost six orders of magnitude in X-ray luminosity, allowing us to probe the accretion–ejection coupling from the brightest to the faintest phases of the outburst. We find that MAXI J1348–630 belongs to the growing population of outliers at the highest observed luminosities. Interestingly, MAXI J1348–630 deviates from the outlier track at LX ≲ 7 × 1035(D/2.2 kpc)2 erg s−1 and ultimately rejoins the standard track at LX ≃ 1033(D/2.2 kpc)2 erg s−1, displaying a hybrid radio/X-ray correlation, observed only in a handful of sources. However, for MAXI J1348–630 these transitions happen at luminosities much lower than what observed for similar sources (at least an order of magnitude). We discuss the behaviour of MAXI J1348–630 in light of the currently proposed scenarios and highlight the importance of future deep monitorings of hybrid correlation sources, especially close to the transitions and in the low luminosity regime.
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Andrews, Jeff J., and Vicky Kalogera. "Constraining Black Hole Natal Kicks with Astrometric Microlensing." Astrophysical Journal 930, no. 2 (May 1, 2022): 159. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac66d6.
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Abstract Multiple pieces of evidence suggest that neutron stars receive large kicks when formed from the remnant of a collapsing star. However, the evidence for whether black holes (BHs) receive natal kicks is less clear, reliant on weak constraints from the analysis of BH X-ray binaries and massive runaway and walkaway stars. Here we show, for the first time, that recent microlensing detections offer a new method for measuring the kicks BHs receive at birth. When a BH is identified through both photometric and astrometric microlensing and when the lensed star has a known distance and proper motion, the mass, distance, and proper motion of the BH can be determined. We study the runaway velocities for components of eccentric binaries disrupted during a supernova (SN), finding the peculiar velocity correlates strongly with the kick a BH received at birth, typically within 20%, even when the natal kick is smaller than the orbital velocity. Therefore, by measuring the peculiar velocity of a BH or other compact object that formed from a binary which disrupted during core collapse, we are in effect measuring the natal kick that object received. We focus on MOA-2011-BLG-191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462, an isolated, single BH detected by microlensing, and consider a range of possible formation scenarios, including its formation from the disruption of a binary during a SN event. We determine that MOA-2011-BLG-191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 has a Milky Way orbit consistent with a thick-disk population, but if it was formed within the kinematic thin disk it received a natal kick ≲100 km s−1.
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Lai, Dong, Wen Fu, David Tsang, Jiri Horak, and Cong Yu. "High-Frequency QPOs and Overstable Oscillations of Black-Hole Accretion Disks." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 8, S290 (August 2012): 57–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921312019205.
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AbstractThe physical origin of high-frequency QPOs (HFQPOs) in black-hole X-ray binaries remains an enigma despite many years of detailed observational studies. Although there exists a number of models for HFQPOs, many of these are simply “notions” or “concepts” without actual calculation derived from fluid or disk physics. Future progress requires a combination of numerical simulations and semi-analytic studies to extract physical insights. We review recent works on global oscillation modes in black-hole accretion disks, and explain how, with the help of general relativistic effects, the energy stored in the disk differential rotation can be pumped into global spiral density modes in the disk, making these modes grow to large amplitudes under certain conditions (“corotational instability”). These modes are robust in the presence of disk magnetic fields and turbulence. The computed oscillation mode frequencies are largely consistent with the observed values for HFQPOs in BH X-ray binaries. The approximate 2:3 frequency ratio is also expected from this model. The connection of HFQPOs with other disk properties (such as production of episodic jets) is also discussed.
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Kochanek, C. S., K. Auchettl, and K. Belczynski. "Stellar binaries that survive supernovae." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 485, no. 4 (March 14, 2019): 5394–410. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz717.
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Abstract The number of binaries containing black holes (BH) or neutron stars (NS) depends critically on the fraction of binaries that survive supernova (SN) explosions. We searched for surviving star plus remnant binaries in a sample of 49 supernova remnants (SNR) containing 23 previously identified compact remnants and three high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB), finding no new interacting or non-interacting binaries. The upper limits on any main-sequence stellar companion are typically $\lesssim 0.2\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ and are at worst $\lesssim 3\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$. This implies that f < 0.1 of core-collapse SNRs contain a non-interacting binary, and f = 0.083 (0.032 < f < 0.17) contain an interacting binary at 90 per cent confidence. We also find that the transverse velocities of HMXBs are low, with a median of only 12 km s−1 for field HMXBs, so surviving binaries will generally be found very close to the explosion centre. We compare the results to a ‘standard’ StarTrack binary population synthesis (BPS) model, finding reasonable agreement with the observations. In particular, the BPS models predict that 6 per cent of initial binaries leave a star plus remnant binary, or 5 per cent of SNRs assuming an 84 per cent binary fraction.
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Ciolfi, Riccardo. "Short gamma-ray burst central engines." International Journal of Modern Physics D 27, no. 13 (October 2018): 1842004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s021827181842004x.
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Growing evidence connects the progenitor systems of the short-hard subclass of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to the merger of compact object binaries composed of two neutron stars (NSs) or of an NS and a black hole (BH). The recent observation of the binary NS (BNS) merger event GW170817 associated with GRB 170817A brought a great deal of additional information and provided further support to the above connection, even though the identification of this burst as a canonical short GRB (SGRB) remains uncertain. Decades of observational constraints and theoretical models consolidated the idea of a jet origin for the GRB prompt emission, which can also explain the multiwavelength afterglow radiation observed in most of the events. However, the mechanisms through which a BNS or NS–BH merger remnant would power a collimated outflow are much less constrained. Understanding the properties of the remnant systems and whether they can provide the right conditions for jet production has been a main driver of the great effort devoted to study BNS and NS–BH mergers, and still represents a real challenge from both the physical and the computational points of view. One fundamental open question concerns the nature of the central engine itself. While the leading candidate system is a BH surrounded by a massive accretion disk, the recent observation of plateau-shaped X-ray afterglows in some SGRBs would suggest a longer-lived engine, i.e. a metastable (or even stable) massive NS, which would also exclude NS–BH progenitors. Here we elaborate on this key aspect, considering three different scenarios to explain the SGRB phenomenology based on different hypotheses on the nature of the merger remnant. Then, we discuss the basic properties of GRB 170817A and how this event would fit within the different frameworks of the above scenarios, under the assumption that it was or was not a canonical SGRB.
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Kashiyama, Kazumi, Ryo Sawada, and Yudai Suwa. "X-Raying the Birth of Binary Neutron Stars and Neutron Star–Black Hole Binaries." Astrophysical Journal 935, no. 2 (August 1, 2022): 86. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac7ff7.
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Abstract We consider fallback accretion after an ultrastripped supernova (USSN) that accompanies formation of a binary neutron star (BNS) or a neutron star–black hole binary (NS–BH). The fallback matter initially accretes directly to the nascent NS, while it starts to accrete to the circumbinary disk, typically 0.1–1 day after the onset of the USSN explosion. The circumbinary disk mass further accretes, forming mini disks around each compact object, with a super-Eddington rate up to a few years. We show that such a system constitutes a binary ultraluminous X-ray source, and a fraction of the X-rays can emerge through the USSN ejecta. We encourage follow-up observations of USSNe within ≲100 Mpc and ∼100–1000 days after the explosion using Chandra, XMM Newton, and NuSTAR, which could detect the X-ray counterpart with time variations representing the properties of the nascent compact binary, e.g., the orbital motion of the binary, the spin of the NS, and/or the quasiperiodic oscillation of the mini disks.
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Mata Sánchez, D., T. Muñoz-Darias, V. A. Cúneo, M. Armas Padilla, J. Sánchez-Sierras, G. Panizo-Espinar, J. Casares, J. M. Corral-Santana, and M. A. P. Torres. "Hard-state Optical Wind during the Discovery Outburst of the Black Hole X-Ray Dipper MAXI J1803–298." Astrophysical Journal Letters 926, no. 2 (February 1, 2022): L10. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac502f.
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Abstract We present 12 epochs of optical spectroscopy taken across the discovery outburst of the black hole (BH) candidate MAXI J1803−298 with the Gran Telescopio Canarias and Very Large Telescope. The source followed a standard outburst evolution with hard and soft states. The system displays a triangular shape in the hardness intensity diagram, consistent with that seen in high-inclination BH transients and the previously reported detection of X-ray dips. The two epochs observed during the initial hard state exhibited asymmetric emission-line profiles, including a P-Cygni profile simultaneously detected in Hα and He i 6678, which indicates the presence of an optical wind in the system. The remaining spectra, obtained during the transition to the soft state and the subsequent decay, are instead characterized by narrower, double-peaked emission lines embedded into broad absorption components. One epoch (intermediate state) also includes near-infrared (NIR) coverage, revealing complex line profiles in the Paschen and Bracket series, which suggests that the outflow is still present during the outburst decay through the soft state. The growing list of low-mass X-ray binaries with optical and NIR outflow signatures indicates that these are common features. Furthermore, the lowest luminosity spectrum exhibits an Hα FWHM of 1570 ± 100 km s−1. This, together with previous constraints on the binary parameters, allows us to favor a compact object mass of ∼3–10 M ⊙, further supporting its BH nature.
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Hainich, R., L. M. Oskinova, T. Shenar, P. Marchant, J. J. Eldridge, A. A. C. Sander, W. R. Hamann, N. Langer, and H. Todt. "Observational properties of massive black hole binary progenitors." Astronomy & Astrophysics 609 (January 2018): A94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731449.
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Context. The first directly detected gravitational waves (GW 150914) were emitted by two coalescing black holes (BHs) with masses of ≈ 36 M⊙ and ≈ 29 M⊙. Several scenarios have been proposed to put this detection into an astrophysical context. The evolution of an isolated massive binary system is among commonly considered models. Aims. Various groups have performed detailed binary-evolution calculations that lead to BH merger events. However, the question remains open as to whether binary systems with the predicted properties really exist. The aim of this paper is to help observers to close this gap by providing spectral characteristics of massive binary BH progenitors during a phase where at least one of the companions is still non-degenerate. Methods. Stellar evolution models predict fundamental stellar parameters. Using these as input for our stellar atmosphere code (Potsdam Wolf-Rayet), we compute a set of models for selected evolutionary stages of massive merging BH progenitors at different metallicities. Results. The synthetic spectra obtained from our atmosphere calculations reveal that progenitors of massive BH merger events start their lives as O2-3V stars that evolve to early-type blue supergiants before they undergo core-collapse during the Wolf-Rayet phase. When the primary has collapsed, the remaining system will appear as a wind-fed high-mass X-ray binary. Based on our atmosphere models, we provide feedback parameters, broad band magnitudes, and spectral templates that should help to identify such binaries in the future. Conclusions. While the predicted parameter space for massive BH binary progenitors is partly realized in nature, none of the known massive binaries match our synthetic spectra of massive BH binary progenitors exactly. Comparisons of empirically determined mass-loss rates with those assumed by evolution calculations reveal significant differences. The consideration of the empirical mass-loss rates in evolution calculations will possibly entail a shift of the maximum in the predicted binary-BH merger rate to higher metallicities, that is, more candidates should be expected in our cosmic neighborhood than previously assumed.