Spectral and Temporal Evolution of XTE J1859+226
Abstract
The 1999-2000 outburst of XTE J1859+226 had good coverage with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer's PCA and HEXTE from early in the rise, after a hard x-ray turn-on in less than a day. Pointed observations with RXTE determined the source's hardest spectra within a day of onset. No oscillations were present then, but within another day the amplitude was 15at 1 Hz. The spectrum softened as the flux took over a week to rise to maximum. The oscillations rose in frequency to 7 Hz. When present, they followed the luminosity during recurrent peaks and the decline. The reported high frequency power near 200 Hz was present between periods of peak flux. Identified in the radio and optical bands within 3 days, the outburst was also well covered at long wavelengths. Recent determinations of the period and mass function, and the simultaneous HST, UKIRT, and RXTE results of Hynes et al. agree with constraints on the black hole mass and distance obtained from the X-ray results alone. The evolution of the X-ray spectrum and oscillations will be discussed in terms of models of the accretion and the jet ejections, and compared to that of other transients.
- Publication:
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APS April Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- April 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002APS..APRN17077S