Review of X-ray variability in black hole binaries
Abstract
The rapid X-ray variability displayed by accreting black hole binaries (BHBs) consists of aperiodic broad-band noise and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). The properties of both correlate tightly with spectral state, which is seen to evolve over timescales of ∼ weeks to years. I will first review the phenomenological picture built up with the aid of 16 years of monitoring by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), before discussing a physical interpretation of all these data. I will summarise the growing body of evidence that the broad-band noise originates from propagating mass accretion rate fluctuations and present our recent results which provide evidence that low frequency QPOs are of geometric origin.
- Publication:
-
The Extremes of Black Hole Accretion
- Pub Date:
- July 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015ebha.confE...8I