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Fast variability as a tracer of accretion regimes in black hole transients

Fast variability as a tracer of accretion regimes in black hole transients
Fast variability as a tracer of accretion regimes in black hole transients
We present the root mean square (rms)–intensity diagram for black hole transients. Using observations taken with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, we study the relation between the rms amplitude of the variability and the net count rate during the 2002, 2004 and 2007 outbursts of the black hole X-ray binary GX 339?4. We find that the rms–flux relation previously observed during the hard state in X-ray binaries does not hold for the other states, when different relations apply. These relations can be used as a good tracer of the different accretion regimes. We identify the hard, soft and intermediate states in the rms–intensity diagram. Transitions between the different states are seen to produce marked changes in the rms–flux relation. We find that one single component is required to explain the ?40 per cent variability observed at low count rates, whereas no or very low variability is associated to the accretion-disc thermal component
accretion, accretion discs, black hole physics, binaries: close, X-rays: binaries, X-rays: individual: GX 339-4
1365-2966
679-684
Munoz -Darias, T.
3ef561c1-bb1b-4616-8d6c-1e5dc2da1874
Motta, S.
461dbdce-0b15-4702-8baf-85b26197ae36
Belloni, T.M.
7cbbc962-d7e9-4823-ac14-7c662aa9eb16
Munoz -Darias, T.
3ef561c1-bb1b-4616-8d6c-1e5dc2da1874
Motta, S.
461dbdce-0b15-4702-8baf-85b26197ae36
Belloni, T.M.
7cbbc962-d7e9-4823-ac14-7c662aa9eb16

Munoz -Darias, T., Motta, S. and Belloni, T.M. (2011) Fast variability as a tracer of accretion regimes in black hole transients. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 410 (1), 679-684. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17476.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We present the root mean square (rms)–intensity diagram for black hole transients. Using observations taken with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, we study the relation between the rms amplitude of the variability and the net count rate during the 2002, 2004 and 2007 outbursts of the black hole X-ray binary GX 339?4. We find that the rms–flux relation previously observed during the hard state in X-ray binaries does not hold for the other states, when different relations apply. These relations can be used as a good tracer of the different accretion regimes. We identify the hard, soft and intermediate states in the rms–intensity diagram. Transitions between the different states are seen to produce marked changes in the rms–flux relation. We find that one single component is required to explain the ?40 per cent variability observed at low count rates, whereas no or very low variability is associated to the accretion-disc thermal component

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e-pub ahead of print date: 11 October 2010
Published date: January 2011
Keywords: accretion, accretion discs, black hole physics, binaries: close, X-rays: binaries, X-rays: individual: GX 339-4
Organisations: Astronomy Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 339071
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/339071
ISSN: 1365-2966
PURE UUID: 89f037db-0afc-4623-9541-bff3a8edfa65

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Date deposited: 24 May 2012 08:59
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 11:09

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Contributors

Author: T. Munoz -Darias
Author: S. Motta
Author: T.M. Belloni

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