Emphasize the difference: On the energy dependance of power spectral states in Black Hole X-ray Binaries
Abstract
Transient black hole X-ray binaries usually evolve through different energy spectral states that show characteristic spectral and variability properties. These characteristics mainly resulted from the energy spectra and the power density spectra obtained by the RXTE in the energy band above 3 keV. This picture has been challenged through our recent study on MAXI J1659-152, in which we found a clear energy dependence of the power spectral state; the thermal disk spectral component in the hard and the intermediate state is of a power-law noise with a possible cut-off at a frequency below the characteristic frequencies of the band-limited noise and QPOs seen simultaneously in the Comptonized component, which is similar to the power spectrum of the soft state. Here, we present the results of our comprehensive study of archival XMM-Newton observations of black hole X-ray binaries, which comprises GRS 1915+105, GX 339-4, H1743-322 and other sources. For the observations of GRS 1915+105 in the "plateau" state we will discuss the overall shape of the power density spectra related to the noise component and the presence or absence of quasi-periodic oscillations in different energy bands. Furthermore, we will present a summary of the power density spectra and related time lags in the observations of GX 339-4. The presence of quasi-periodic oscillations and band-limited noise in the power density spectra above ~2 keV and the simultaneous domination by a power-law noise in the power density spectra at lower energies imply that the quasi-periodic oscillations and the band-limited noise are in the Comptonized component and the optically thick disk contributes to a power-law noise which is independent of the energy spectral state. We will discuss the implications of this finding for the picture of the accretion geometry in black hole X-ray binaries.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #223
- Pub Date:
- January 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22332302S