NICER observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole X-ray binary

L. Zhang; D Altamirano; V A Cúneo; K Alabarta; T Enoto; J Homan; R A Remillard; P Uttley; F M Vincentelli; Z Arzoumanian; P Bult; K C Gendreau; C Markwardt; A Sanna; T E Strohmayer; J F Steiner; A Basak; J Neilsen; F Tombesi

doi:10.1093/mnras/staa2842

NICER observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole X-ray binary

L. Zhang
, D Altamirano
, V A Cúneo
, K Alabarta
, T Enoto
, J Homan
, R A Remillard
, P Uttley
, F M Vincentelli
, Z Arzoumanian
, P Bult
, K C Gendreau
, C Markwardt
, A Sanna
, T E Strohmayer
, J F Steiner
, A Basak
, J Neilsen
, F Tombesi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We studied the outburst evolution and timing properties of the recently discovered X-ray transient MAXI J1348-630 as observed with NICER.We produced the fundamental diagrams commonly used to trace the spectral evolution, and power density spectra to study the fast X-ray variability. The main outburst evolution ofMAXI J1348-630 is similar to that commonly observed in black hole transients. The source evolved from the hard state (HS), through hard- and soft-intermediate states, into the soft state in the outburst rise, and back to the HS in reverse during the outburst decay. At the end of the outburst, MAXI J1348-630 underwent two reflares with peak fluxes approximately one and two orders of magnitude fainter than the main outburst, respectively. During the reflares, the source remained in the HS only, without undergoing any state transitions, which is similar to the so-called 'failed outbursts'. Different types of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are observed at different phases of the outburst. Based on our spectral-timing results, we conclude that MAXI J1348-630 is a black hole candidate.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	851-861
Number of pages	11
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	499
Issue number	1
Early online date	19 Sept 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2842
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s).

Funding

We are grateful for the anonymous referee’s helpful comments and suggestions. LZ acknowledges support from the Royal Society Newton Funds. DA acknowledges support from the Royal Society. VAC acknowledges support from the Royal Society International Exchanges ‘The first step for High-Energy Astrophysics relations between Argentina and UK’ and from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under grant AYA2017-83216-P. KA acknowledges support from a UGC-UKIERI Phase 3 Thematic Partnership (UGC-UKIERI-2017-18-006; PI: P. Gandhi). FMV acknowledges support from STFC under grant ST/R000638/1. This work was supported by NASA through the NICER mission and We are grateful for the anonymous referee's helpful comments and suggestions. LZ acknowledges support from the Royal Society Newton Funds. DA acknowledges support from the Royal Society. VAC acknowledges support from the Royal Society International Exchanges 'The first step for High-Energy Astrophysics relations between Argentina and UK' and from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under grant AYA2017-83216-P. KA acknowledges support from a UGC-UKIERI Phase 3 Thematic Partnership (UGC-UKIERI-2017-18-006; PI: P. Gandhi). FMV acknowledges support from STFC under grant ST/R000638/1. This work was supported by NASA through the NICER mission and the Astrophysics Explorers Program. This research has made use of MAXI data provided by RIKEN, JAXA, and the MAXI team, and data and software provided by the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) and NASA's Astrophysics Data System Bibliographic Services.

Funders	Funder number
NASA
RIKEN
The Royal Society
Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities	AYA2017-83216-P, UGC-UKIERI-2017-18-006
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)	ST/R000638/1
UK Research and Innovation	58520

Keywords

Accretion
Accretion discs
Black hole physics
X-rays: binaries
X-rays: individual: MAXI J1348-630

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1093/mnras/staa2842

Cite this

Zhang, L., Altamirano, D., Cúneo, V. A., Alabarta, K., Enoto, T., Homan, J., Remillard, R. A., Uttley, P., Vincentelli, F. M., Arzoumanian, Z., Bult, P., Gendreau, K. C., Markwardt, C., Sanna, A., Strohmayer, T. E., Steiner, J. F., Basak, A., Neilsen, J., & Tombesi, F. (2020). NICER observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole X-ray binary. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 499(1), 851-861. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2842

Zhang, L, Altamirano, D, Cúneo, VA, Alabarta, K, Enoto, T, Homan, J, Remillard, RA, Uttley, P, Vincentelli, FM, Arzoumanian, Z, Bult, P, Gendreau, KC, Markwardt, C, Sanna, A, Strohmayer, TE, Steiner, JF, Basak, A, Neilsen, J & Tombesi, F 2020, 'NICER observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole X-ray binary', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 499, no. 1, pp. 851-861. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2842

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abstract = "We studied the outburst evolution and timing properties of the recently discovered X-ray transient MAXI J1348-630 as observed with NICER.We produced the fundamental diagrams commonly used to trace the spectral evolution, and power density spectra to study the fast X-ray variability. The main outburst evolution ofMAXI J1348-630 is similar to that commonly observed in black hole transients. The source evolved from the hard state (HS), through hard- and soft-intermediate states, into the soft state in the outburst rise, and back to the HS in reverse during the outburst decay. At the end of the outburst, MAXI J1348-630 underwent two reflares with peak fluxes approximately one and two orders of magnitude fainter than the main outburst, respectively. During the reflares, the source remained in the HS only, without undergoing any state transitions, which is similar to the so-called 'failed outbursts'. Different types of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are observed at different phases of the outburst. Based on our spectral-timing results, we conclude that MAXI J1348-630 is a black hole candidate.",

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AU - Cúneo, V A

AU - Alabarta, K

AU - Enoto, T

AU - Homan, J

AU - Remillard, R A

AU - Uttley, P

AU - Vincentelli, F M

AU - Arzoumanian, Z

AU - Bult, P

AU - Gendreau, K C

AU - Markwardt, C

AU - Sanna, A

AU - Strohmayer, T E

AU - Steiner, J F

AU - Basak, A

AU - Neilsen, J

AU - Tombesi, F

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N2 - We studied the outburst evolution and timing properties of the recently discovered X-ray transient MAXI J1348-630 as observed with NICER.We produced the fundamental diagrams commonly used to trace the spectral evolution, and power density spectra to study the fast X-ray variability. The main outburst evolution ofMAXI J1348-630 is similar to that commonly observed in black hole transients. The source evolved from the hard state (HS), through hard- and soft-intermediate states, into the soft state in the outburst rise, and back to the HS in reverse during the outburst decay. At the end of the outburst, MAXI J1348-630 underwent two reflares with peak fluxes approximately one and two orders of magnitude fainter than the main outburst, respectively. During the reflares, the source remained in the HS only, without undergoing any state transitions, which is similar to the so-called 'failed outbursts'. Different types of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are observed at different phases of the outburst. Based on our spectral-timing results, we conclude that MAXI J1348-630 is a black hole candidate.

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KW - X-rays: binaries

KW - X-rays: individual: MAXI J1348-630

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