Correlations among Quasi-periodic Variability and X-ray Spectra: Probes of Accretion Flows in Black Hole Binaries

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

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Scientific paper

The study of stellar mass black hole binaries in our own and neighboring galaxies has entered an exciting era of progress. This is in large part due to the fact that currently in orbit are the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)- providing long term monitoring, broad band spectra, and microsecond temporal resolution; BeppoSAX- providing broad band, moderate resolution spectra; and Chandra and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM)- providing high resolution spectroscopy. Coupled with high energy observations have been ground based studies in the optical and radio. A rich phenomenology has emerged that shows that black hole binaries are highly dynamic systems on time scales ranging from hundreds of days down to milliseconds. Importantly, over these time scales, strong correlations are seen among the spectral and temporal properties in black hole systems. Furthermore, the data are being described with increasingly more sophisticated models. Spectra are being ascribed to accretion flows that consist of a cool disk coupled to a hot corona and an energetic jet outflow, while variability is ascribed to ``resonant modes'' within the accretion flow. By correlating the spectral and temporal properties, we are beginning to constrain many of our ideas about the energetics, size scale, and geometry of the accretion flow. In this talk I will describe studies of ``quasi-periodic oscillations'' (QPO) in black hole binaries, and how their properties correlate with our understanding of accretion flow models. Specifically I will concentrate on two broad topics. The first will be the narrow, high-frequency QPO and their implications for `relativisitc disk oscillations'. The second will be the emerging viewpoint that nearly all rapid variability in black hole binaries represents broad, resonant modes (i.e., QPO), the correlated spectral properties of which have important implications for the properties of the accretion flow.

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