A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40?
During its 2005 outburst, GRO J1655–40 was observed at high spectral resolution with the Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer, revealing a spectrum rich with blueshifted absorption lines indicative of an accretion disk wind—apparently too hot, too dense, and too close to the black h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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IOP Publishing
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/110677 |
| _version_ | 1826208977560535040 |
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| author | Rahoui, F. Buxton, M. Neilsen, Joseph M. G. Homan, Jeroen |
| author2 | MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research |
| author_facet | MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research Rahoui, F. Buxton, M. Neilsen, Joseph M. G. Homan, Jeroen |
| author_sort | Rahoui, F. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | During its 2005 outburst, GRO J1655–40 was observed at high spectral resolution with the Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer, revealing a spectrum rich with blueshifted absorption lines indicative of an accretion disk wind—apparently too hot, too dense, and too close to the black hole to be driven by radiation pressure or thermal pressure (Miller et al.). However, this exotic wind represents just one piece of the puzzle in this outburst, as its presence coincides with an extremely soft and curved X-ray continuum spectrum, remarkable X-ray variability (Uttley & Klein-Wolt), and a bright, unexpected optical/infrared blackbody component that varies on the orbital period. Focusing on the X-ray continuum and the optical/infrared/UV spectral energy distribution, we argue that the unusual features of this "hypersoft state" are natural consequences of a super-Eddington Compton-thick wind from the disk: the optical/infrared blackbody represents the cool photosphere of a dense, extended outflow, while the X-ray emission is explained as Compton scattering by the relatively cool, optically thick wind. This wind obscures the intrinsic luminosity of the inner disk, which we suggest may have been at or above the Eddington limit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:15:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/110677 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:15:26Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1106772022-09-28T19:33:48Z A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? Rahoui, F. Buxton, M. Neilsen, Joseph M. G. Homan, Jeroen MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research Neilsen, Joseph M. G. Homan, Jeroen During its 2005 outburst, GRO J1655–40 was observed at high spectral resolution with the Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer, revealing a spectrum rich with blueshifted absorption lines indicative of an accretion disk wind—apparently too hot, too dense, and too close to the black hole to be driven by radiation pressure or thermal pressure (Miller et al.). However, this exotic wind represents just one piece of the puzzle in this outburst, as its presence coincides with an extremely soft and curved X-ray continuum spectrum, remarkable X-ray variability (Uttley & Klein-Wolt), and a bright, unexpected optical/infrared blackbody component that varies on the orbital period. Focusing on the X-ray continuum and the optical/infrared/UV spectral energy distribution, we argue that the unusual features of this "hypersoft state" are natural consequences of a super-Eddington Compton-thick wind from the disk: the optical/infrared blackbody represents the cool photosphere of a dense, extended outflow, while the X-ray emission is explained as Compton scattering by the relatively cool, optically thick wind. This wind obscures the intrinsic luminosity of the inner disk, which we suggest may have been at or above the Eddington limit. United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant HST-HF2-51343.001- A) United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Einstein Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (Grant PF2-130097) 2017-07-12T16:38:07Z 2017-07-12T16:38:07Z 2016-04 2015-10 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1538-4357 0004-637X http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/110677 Neilsen, J. et al. “A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40?” The Astrophysical Journal 822.1 (2016): 20. © 2016 The American Astronomical Society. en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/822/1/20 The Astrophysical Journal Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf IOP Publishing IOP Publishing |
| spellingShingle | Rahoui, F. Buxton, M. Neilsen, Joseph M. G. Homan, Jeroen A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? |
| title | A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? |
| title_full | A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? |
| title_fullStr | A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? |
| title_full_unstemmed | A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? |
| title_short | A SUPER-EDDINGTON, COMPTON-THICK WIND IN GRO J1655–40? |
| title_sort | super eddington compton thick wind in gro j1655 40 |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/110677 |
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