The Library
The not-so-massive black hole in the microquasar GRS1915+105
Tools
Steeghs, D., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Parsons, Steven G., Reid, Matthew M., Littlefair, S. P. and Dhillon, Vik S. (2013) The not-so-massive black hole in the microquasar GRS1915+105. The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 768 (Number 2). Article number 185. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/768/2/185 ISSN 0004-637X.
|
Text
WRAP_Steeghs_1304.1808v1.pdf - Accepted Version Download (500Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/768/2/185
Abstract
We present a new dynamical study of the black hole X-ray transient GRS1915+105 making use of near-infrared spectroscopy obtained with X-shooter at the VLT. We detect a large number of donor star absorption features across a wide range of wavelengths spanning the H and K bands. Our 24 epochs covering a baseline of over 1 year permit us to determine a new binary ephemeris including a refined orbital period of P=33.85 +/- 0.16 d. The donor star radial velocity curves deliver a significantly improved determination of the donor semi-amplitude which is both accurate (K_2=126 +/- 1 km/s) and robust against choice of donor star template and spectral features used. We furthermore constrain the donor star's rotational broadening to vsini=21 +/-4 km/s, delivering a binary mass ratio of q=0.042 +/- 0.024. If we combine these new constraints with distance and inclination estimates derived from modelling the radio emission, a black hole mass of M_BH=10.1 +/- 0.6 M_sun is inferred, paired with an evolved mass donor of M_2=0.47 +/- 0.27 M_sun. Our analysis suggests a more typical black hole mass for GRS1915+105 rather than the unusually high values derived in the pioneering dynamical study by Greiner et al. (2001). Our data demonstrate that high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of obscured accreting binaries can deliver dynamical mass determinations with a precision on par with optical studies.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subjects: | Q Science > QA Mathematics Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics |
||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Astrophysics -- Mathematical models, Stars -- Mathematical models, Black holes (Astronomy) -- Mathematical models, X-ray astronomy, High resolution spectroscopy, Infrared spectra, Spectrum analysis | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | The Astrophysical Journal | ||||
Publisher: | Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. | ||||
ISSN: | 0004-637X | ||||
Official Date: | 2013 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Volume: | Volume 768 | ||||
Number: | Number 2 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 7 | ||||
Page Range: | Article number 185 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1088/0004-637X/768/2/185 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 24 December 2015 | ||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 24 December 2015 | ||||
Funder: | Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC) , United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Southern Observatory (ESO) | ||||
Grant number: | ST/I001719/1 (STFC) ; NNX11AD08G (NASA) ; 085.D-0497 (ESO) |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year