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Rapid optical and X-ray timing observations of GX 339-4 : flux correlations at the onset of a low/hard state

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Gandhi, Poshak, Makishima, K., Durant, Martin, Fabian, A. C., Dhillon, V. S., Marsh, T. R., Miller, Jon M., Shahbaz, Tariq and Spruit, H. C.. (2008) Rapid optical and X-ray timing observations of GX 339-4 : flux correlations at the onset of a low/hard state. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 390 (Number 1). L29-L33. ISSN 0035-8711

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2008.00529.x

Abstract

We present the discovery of optical/X-ray flux correlations on rapid time-scales in the low/hard state of the Galactic black hole GX339-4. The source had recently emerged from outburst and was associated with a relatively faint counterpart with mag V approximate to 17. The optical [ Very Large Telescope (VLT)/ULTRACAM] and X-ray (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer) data show a clear positive cross-correlation function (CCF) signal, with the optical peak lagging X-rays by similar to 150 ms, preceded by a shallow rise and followed by a steep decline along with broad anticorrelation dips. An examination of the light curves shows that the main CCF features are reproduced in superpositions of flares and dips. The CCF peak is narrow and the X-ray autocorrelation function (ACF) is broader than the optical ACF, arguing against reprocessing as the origin for the rapid optical emission. X-ray flaring is associated with spectral hardening, but no corresponding changes are detected around optical peaks and dips. The variability may be explained in the context of synchrotron emission with interaction between a jet and a corona. The complex CCF structure in GX 339-4 has similarities to that of another remarkable X-ray binary XTE J1118+480, in spite of showing a weaker maximum strength. Such simultaneous multiwavelength, rapid timing studies provide key constraints for modelling the inner regions of accreting stellar sources.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QB Astronomy

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Physics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Accretion (Astrophysics), Black holes (Astronomy), X-ray binaries

Journal or Publication Title:

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Publisher:

Wiley

ISSN:

0035-8711

Official Date:

11 October 2008

Dates:

Date	Event
11 October 2008	Published

Volume:

Volume 390

Number:

Number 1

Number of Pages:

Page Range:

L29-L33

Identifier:

10.1111/j.1745-3933.2008.00529.x

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC), Nihon Gakujutsu Shinkōkai [Japan Society for the Promotion of Science] (NGS), Rikagaku Kenkyūjo (Japan) (RIKEN), Spain. Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MCT)

Grant number:

PP/D002370/1 (STFC), AYA2004 02646 (MCT), AYA2007 66887 (MCT)

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