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Variable O VI and N V emission from the X-ray binary LMC X-3 : heating of the black hole companion

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Song, Limin, Tripp, Todd M., Wang, Q. Daniel, Yao, Yangsen, Cui, Wei, Xue, Yongquan, Orosz, Jerome A., Steeghs, D., Steiner, James F., Torres, M. A. P. and McClintock, Jeffrey E.. (2010) Variable O VI and N V emission from the X-ray binary LMC X-3 : heating of the black hole companion. Astronomical Journal, Vol.140 (No.3). pp. 794-803. ISSN 0004-6256

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/140/3/794

Abstract

Based on high-resolution ultraviolet spectroscopy obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, we present new detections of Ovi and Nv emission from the black hole X-ray binary (XRB) system LMCX-3. We also update the ephemeris of the XRB using recent radial velocity measurements obtained with the echelle spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay telescope. We observe significant velocity variability of the UV emission, and we find that the Ovi and Nv emission velocities follow the optical velocity curve of the XRB. Moreover, the Ovi and Nv intensities regularly decrease between binary phase=0.5 and 1.0, which suggests that the source of the UV emission is increasingly occulted as the B star in the XRB moves from superior to inferior conjunction. These trends suggest that illumination of the B star atmosphere by the intense X-ray emission from the accreting black hole creates a hot spot on one side of the B star, and this hot spot is the origin of the Ovi and Nv emission. However, the velocity semiamplitude of the ultraviolet emission, K-UV approximate to 180 km s(-1), is lower than the optical semiamplitude; this difference could be due to rotation of the B star. Comparison of the FUSE observations taken in 2001 November and 2004 April shows a significant change in the Ovi emission characteristics: in the 2001 data, the Ovi region shows both broad and narrow emission features, while in 2004 only the narrow Ovi emission is clearly present. Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data show that the XRB was in a high/soft state in the 2001 November epoch but was in a transitional state in 2004 April, so the shape of the X-ray spectrum might change the properties of the region illuminated on the B star and thus change the broad versus narrow characteristics of the UV emission. If our hypothesis about the origin of the highly ionized emission is correct, then careful analysis of the emission occultation could, in principle, constrain the inclination of the XRB and the mass of the black hole.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QB Astronomy

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Physics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

X-ray binaries, Ultraviolet spectroscopy

Journal or Publication Title:

Astronomical Journal

Publisher:

Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.

ISSN:

0004-6256

Official Date:

September 2010

Dates:

Date	Event
September 2010	Published

Volume:

Vol.140

Number:

No.3

Number of Pages:

Page Range:

pp. 794-803

Identification Number:

10.1088/0004-6256/140/3/794

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Grant number:

NNG04GJB83G (NASA), HST-GO-11642.01-A (NASA), HST-GO-11642.02-A (NASA)

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