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Initial measurements of black hole spin in GX 339-4 from Suzaku spectroscopy
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Miller, J. M., Reynolds, C. S., Fabian, A. C., Cackett, E. M., Miniutti, G., Raymond, J., Steeghs, D., Reis, R. C. and Homan, J. (2008) Initial measurements of black hole spin in GX 339-4 from Suzaku spectroscopy. Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol.679 (No.2). L113-L116. doi:10.1086/589446 ISSN 2041-8205.
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WRAP_Steeghs_SUZAKU_0802.3882v2.pdf - Accepted Version Download (333Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/589446
Abstract
We report on a deep Suzaku observation of the stellar-mass black hole GX 339-4 in outburst. A clear, strong, relativistically shaped iron emission line from the inner accretion disk is observed. The broadband disk reflection spectrum revealed is one of the most sensitive yet obtained from an accreting black hole. We fit the Suzaku spectra with a physically motivated disk reflection model, blurred by a new relativistic line function in which the black hole spin parameter is a variable. This procedure yielded a black hole spin parameter of a p. Joint modeling of these Suzaku spectra and prior XMM-Newton spectra obtained in two different 0.89 +/- 0.04 outburst phases yields a spin parameter of a = 0.93 +/- 0.01. The degree of consistency between these results suggests that disk reflection models allow for spin measurements that are not strongly biased by scattering effects. We suggest that the best value of the black hole spin parameter is a = 0.93 +/- 0.01 (statistical) +/- 0.04 (systematic). Although preliminary, these results represent the first direct measurement of nonzero spin in a stellar-mass black hole using relativistic line modeling.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy | ||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Black holes (Astronomy) | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Astrophysical Journal Letters | ||||
Publisher: | IOP Publishing Ltd | ||||
ISSN: | 2041-8205 | ||||
Official Date: | 1 June 2008 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | Vol.679 | ||||
Number: | No.2 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 4 | ||||
Page Range: | L113-L116 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1086/589446 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 14 December 2015 | ||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 14 December 2015 | ||||
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