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Swift observations of the cooling accretion disk of XTE J1817−330

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Rykoff, E. S., Miller, J. M., Steeghs, D. (Danny), 1972- and Torres, M. A. P.. (2007) Swift observations of the cooling accretion disk of XTE J1817−330. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol.666 (No.2). pp. 1129-1139. ISSN 0004-637X

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Abstract

The black hole candidate X-ray transient XTE J1817-330 was observed by the Swift satellite over 160 days of its 2006 outburst with the XRT and UVOT instruments. At the start of the observations, the XRT spectra show that the 0.6-10 keV emission is dominated by an optically thick, geometrically thin accretion disk with an inner disk temperature of ~0.8 keV, indicating that the source was in a high/soft state during the initial outburst phase. We tracked the source through its decline into the low/hard state with the accretion disk cooling to ~0.2 keV and the inner disk radius consistent with the innermost stable circular orbit at all times. Furthermore, the X-ray luminosity roughly follows LX T4 during the decline, consistent with a geometrically stable blackbody. These results are the strongest evidence yet obtained that accretion disks do not automatically recede after a state transition, down to accretion rates as low as 0.001LEdd. Meanwhile, the near-UV flux does not track the X-ray disk flux and is well in excess of what is predicted if the near-UV emission is from viscous dissipation in the outer disk. The strong correlation between the hard X-ray flux and the near-UV flux, which scale as L, indicate that reprocessed emission is most likely the dominate contribution to the near-UV flux. We discuss our results in the context of accretion disks and the overall accretion flow geometry in accreting black holes.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): X-ray bursts, Black holes (Astronomy)
Journal or Publication Title: The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 0004-637X
Date: 2007
Volume: Vol.666
Number: No.2
Page Range: pp. 1129-1139
Identification Number: 10.1086/520329
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder: National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF), Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Grant number: AST-0407061 (NSF), NNG06GC05G (NASA), NAG5-10889 (NASA)
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URI: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/48667

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