The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole
Using astrometric VLBI observations, we have determined the parallax of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg to be 0.418 ± 0.024 mas, corresponding to a distance of 2.39 ± 0.14 kpc, significantly lower than the previously accepted value. This model-independent estimate is the most accurate distance...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc.
2009
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| Online Access: | http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-4357/706/2/L230/ http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25727 |
| _version_ | 1848751788165955584 |
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| author | Miller-Jones, James Jonker, P. Dhawan, V. Brisken, W. Rupen, M. Nelemans, G. Gallo, E. |
| author_facet | Miller-Jones, James Jonker, P. Dhawan, V. Brisken, W. Rupen, M. Nelemans, G. Gallo, E. |
| author_sort | Miller-Jones, James |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Using astrometric VLBI observations, we have determined the parallax of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg to be 0.418 ± 0.024 mas, corresponding to a distance of 2.39 ± 0.14 kpc, significantly lower than the previously accepted value. This model-independent estimate is the most accurate distance to a Galactic stellar-mass black hole measured to date. With this new distance, we confirm that the source was not super-Eddington during its 1989 outburst. The fitted distance and proper motion imply that the black hole in this system likely formed in a supernova, with the peculiar velocity being consistent with a recoil (Blaauw) kick. The size of the quiescent jets inferred to exist in this system is <1.4 AU at 22 GHz. Astrometric observations of a larger sample of such systems would provide useful insights into the formation and properties of accreting stellar-mass black holes. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:58:17Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-25727 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:58:17Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-257272017-02-28T01:43:48Z The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole Miller-Jones, James Jonker, P. Dhawan, V. Brisken, W. Rupen, M. Nelemans, G. Gallo, E. stars: kinematics stars: distances astrometry stars: individual: V404 Cyg radio continuum: stars X-rays: binaries Using astrometric VLBI observations, we have determined the parallax of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg to be 0.418 ± 0.024 mas, corresponding to a distance of 2.39 ± 0.14 kpc, significantly lower than the previously accepted value. This model-independent estimate is the most accurate distance to a Galactic stellar-mass black hole measured to date. With this new distance, we confirm that the source was not super-Eddington during its 1989 outburst. The fitted distance and proper motion imply that the black hole in this system likely formed in a supernova, with the peculiar velocity being consistent with a recoil (Blaauw) kick. The size of the quiescent jets inferred to exist in this system is <1.4 AU at 22 GHz. Astrometric observations of a larger sample of such systems would provide useful insights into the formation and properties of accreting stellar-mass black holes. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25727 http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-4357/706/2/L230/ Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. restricted |
| spellingShingle | stars: kinematics stars: distances astrometry stars: individual: V404 Cyg radio continuum: stars X-rays: binaries Miller-Jones, James Jonker, P. Dhawan, V. Brisken, W. Rupen, M. Nelemans, G. Gallo, E. The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole |
| title | The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole |
| title_full | The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole |
| title_fullStr | The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole |
| title_full_unstemmed | The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole |
| title_short | The First Accurate Parallax Distance to a Black Hole |
| title_sort | first accurate parallax distance to a black hole |
| topic | stars: kinematics stars: distances astrometry stars: individual: V404 Cyg radio continuum: stars X-rays: binaries |
| url | http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-4357/706/2/L230/ http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25727 |