The 2022 Outburst of IGR J17091-3624: Connecting the exotic GRS 1915+105 to standard black hole X-ray binaries

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Wang, Jingyi, Kara, Erin, García, Javier A., Altamirano, Diego, Belloni, Tomaso, Steiner, James F., van der Klis, Michiel, Ingram, Adam, Mastroserio, Guglielmo, Connors, Riley, Lucchini, Matteo, Dauser, Thomas, Neilsen, Joseph, Lewin, Collin, Remillard, Ron A., Homan, Jeroen
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Wang, Jingyi
Kara, Erin
García, Javier A.
Altamirano, Diego
Belloni, Tomaso
Steiner, James F.
van der Klis, Michiel
Ingram, Adam
Mastroserio, Guglielmo
Connors, Riley
Lucchini, Matteo
Dauser, Thomas
Neilsen, Joseph
Lewin, Collin
Remillard, Ron A.
Homan, Jeroen
author_facet Wang, Jingyi
Kara, Erin
García, Javier A.
Altamirano, Diego
Belloni, Tomaso
Steiner, James F.
van der Klis, Michiel
Ingram, Adam
Mastroserio, Guglielmo
Connors, Riley
Lucchini, Matteo
Dauser, Thomas
Neilsen, Joseph
Lewin, Collin
Remillard, Ron A.
Homan, Jeroen
contents While the standard X-ray variability of black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs) is stochastic and noisy, there are two known BHXBs that exhibit exotic `heartbeat'-like variability in their light curves: GRS 1915+105 and IGR J17091-3624. In 2022, IGR J17091-3624 went into outburst for the first time in the NICER/NuSTAR era. These exquisite data allow us to simultaneously track the exotic variability and the corresponding spectral features with unprecedented detail. We find that as in typical BHXBs, the outburst began in the hard state, then the intermediate state, but then transitioned to an exotic soft state where we identify two types of heartbeat-like variability (Class V and a new Class X). The flux-energy spectra show a broad iron emission line due to relativistic reflection when there is no exotic variability, and absorption features from highly ionized iron when the source exhibits exotic variability. Whether absorption lines from highly ionized iron are detected in IGR J17091-3624 is not determined by the spectral state alone, but rather is determined by the presence of exotic variability; in a soft spectral state, absorption lines are only detected along with exotic variability. Our finding indicates that IGR J17091-3624 can be seen as a bridge between the most peculiar BHXB GRS 1915+105 and `normal' BHXBs because it alternates between the conventional and exotic behavior of BHXBs. We discuss the physical nature of the absorbing material and exotic variability in light of this new legacy dataset.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_10192
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The 2022 Outburst of IGR J17091-3624: Connecting the exotic GRS 1915+105 to standard black hole X-ray binaries
Wang, Jingyi
Kara, Erin
García, Javier A.
Altamirano, Diego
Belloni, Tomaso
Steiner, James F.
van der Klis, Michiel
Ingram, Adam
Mastroserio, Guglielmo
Connors, Riley
Lucchini, Matteo
Dauser, Thomas
Neilsen, Joseph
Lewin, Collin
Remillard, Ron A.
Homan, Jeroen
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
While the standard X-ray variability of black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs) is stochastic and noisy, there are two known BHXBs that exhibit exotic `heartbeat'-like variability in their light curves: GRS 1915+105 and IGR J17091-3624. In 2022, IGR J17091-3624 went into outburst for the first time in the NICER/NuSTAR era. These exquisite data allow us to simultaneously track the exotic variability and the corresponding spectral features with unprecedented detail. We find that as in typical BHXBs, the outburst began in the hard state, then the intermediate state, but then transitioned to an exotic soft state where we identify two types of heartbeat-like variability (Class V and a new Class X). The flux-energy spectra show a broad iron emission line due to relativistic reflection when there is no exotic variability, and absorption features from highly ionized iron when the source exhibits exotic variability. Whether absorption lines from highly ionized iron are detected in IGR J17091-3624 is not determined by the spectral state alone, but rather is determined by the presence of exotic variability; in a soft spectral state, absorption lines are only detected along with exotic variability. Our finding indicates that IGR J17091-3624 can be seen as a bridge between the most peculiar BHXB GRS 1915+105 and `normal' BHXBs because it alternates between the conventional and exotic behavior of BHXBs. We discuss the physical nature of the absorbing material and exotic variability in light of this new legacy dataset.
title The 2022 Outburst of IGR J17091-3624: Connecting the exotic GRS 1915+105 to standard black hole X-ray binaries
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.10192