Detailed Broadband Study of the Shortest Orbital Period Black-hole Binary Maxi J1659-152
Abstract
MAXI J1659-152 is a hard X-ray source discovered by Swift and MAXI. Optical spectroscopy showed that this source is an X-ray binary, and X-ray timing observations classified it as a black-hole candidate. Based on recurring dips in the X-ray light curves, the source was established as the shortest period black-hole binary candidate known to date, with a period of 2.4 hours. Here we present our results from the broadband follow-up campaign we initiated after the source discovery. We obtained densely sampled light curves over two orders of magnitude in radio frequencies, in the UV/optical bands, and at X- and gamma-ray energies. This enabled us to construct broadband spectral energy distributions with very good spectral coverage at many epochs, covering the various X-ray states of MAXI J1659-152 during its outburst. Very Long Baseline Interferomety observations provide constraints on the size of the radio emitting jet, which, combined with the modeling results of the broadband spectra, present a comprehensive picture of the outburst from this new X-ray binary.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #12
- Pub Date:
- September 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011HEAD...12.1312V