Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2008-04-01
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS 17/04/08
Scientific paper
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13358.x
We present a systematic study of GX 339-4 in both its very high and low hard states from simultaneous observations made with XMM-Newton and RXTE in 2002 and 2004. The X-ray spectra of both these extreme states exhibit strong reflection signatures, with a broad, skewed Fe-Kalpha line clearly visible above the continuum. Using a newly developed, self-consistent reflection model which implicitly includes the blackbody radiation of the disc as well as the effect of Comptonisation, blurred with a relativistic line function, we were able to infer the spin parameter of GX 339-4 to be 0.935 +/- 0.01 (statistical) +/- 0.01 (systematic) at 90 per cent confidence. We find that both states are consistent with an ionised thin accretion disc extending to the innermost stable circular orbit around the rapidly spinning black hole.
Fabian Andrea C.
Miller John Mcl.
Miniutti Giovanni
Reis Rubens C.
Reynolds Carl
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