``Soft X-ray transient'' outbursts which are not soft
Abstract
We have accumulated multiwavelength (X-ray, optical, radio) lightcurves for the eight black hole X-ray binaries which have been observed to enter a supposed 'soft X-ray transient' outburst, but remained in the low/hard state throughout the outburst. Comparison of the lightcurve morphologies, spectral behaviour, properties of the quasi-periodic oscillations and the radio jet provides the first study of such objects as a sub-class of X-ray transients. However, rather than assuming that these hard state X-ray transients are different from the 'canonical' soft X-ray transient, we prefer to consider the possibility that new analysis of both soft and hard state X-ray transients in a spectral context will provide a model capable of explaining the outburst mechanisms of (almost) all black hole X-ray binaries.
- Publication:
-
New Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- May 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.newast.2003.11.002
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0311152
- Bibcode:
- 2004NewA....9..249B
- Keywords:
-
- 97.10.Gz;
- 97.60.Lf;
- 97.80.Jp;
- 98.38.Fs;
- Accretion and accretion disks;
- Black holes;
- X-ray binaries;
- Jets outflows and bipolar flows;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in New Astronomy