An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571

With the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) we monitored the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571 over seven epochs from 2017 September 21 to October 2. Using ASKAP observations, we studied the H i absorption spectrum from gas clouds along the line of sight and thereby...

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Main Authors: Chauhan, Jaiverdhan, Miller-Jones, James, Anderson, Gemma, Raja, W., Bahramian, Arash, Hotan, A., Indermuehle, B., Whiting, M., Allison, J.R., Anderson, C., Bunton, J., Koribalski, B., Mahony, E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: OXFORD UNIV PRESS 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slz113
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90314
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author Chauhan, Jaiverdhan
Miller-Jones, James
Anderson, Gemma
Raja, W.
Bahramian, Arash
Hotan, A.
Indermuehle, B.
Whiting, M.
Allison, J.R.
Anderson, C.
Bunton, J.
Koribalski, B.
Mahony, E.
author_facet Chauhan, Jaiverdhan
Miller-Jones, James
Anderson, Gemma
Raja, W.
Bahramian, Arash
Hotan, A.
Indermuehle, B.
Whiting, M.
Allison, J.R.
Anderson, C.
Bunton, J.
Koribalski, B.
Mahony, E.
author_sort Chauhan, Jaiverdhan
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description With the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) we monitored the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571 over seven epochs from 2017 September 21 to October 2. Using ASKAP observations, we studied the H i absorption spectrum from gas clouds along the line of sight and thereby constrained the distance to the source. The maximum negative radial velocities measured from the H i absorption spectra for MAXI J1535-571 and an extragalactic source in the same field of view are -69 ± 4 and -89 ± 4 km s-1, respectively. This rules out the far kinematic distance (9.3+0.5 -0.6 kpc), giving a most likely distance of 4.1+0.6 -0.5 kpc, with a strong upper limit of the tangent point at 6.7+0.1 -0.2 kpc. At our preferred distance, the peak unabsorbed luminosity of MAXI J1535-571 was >78 per cent of the Eddington luminosity, and shows that the soft-to-hard spectral state transition occurred at the very low luminosity of (1.2-3.4) × 10-5 times the Eddington luminosity. Finally, this study highlights the capabilities of new wide-field radio telescopes to probe Galactic transient outbursts, by allowing us to observe both a target source and a background comparison source in a single telescope pointing.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-903142023-02-10T00:18:06Z An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571 Chauhan, Jaiverdhan Miller-Jones, James Anderson, Gemma Raja, W. Bahramian, Arash Hotan, A. Indermuehle, B. Whiting, M. Allison, J.R. Anderson, C. Bunton, J. Koribalski, B. Mahony, E. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics black hole physics ISM: jets and outflows X-rays: binaries X-rays: individual: MAXI J1535-571 VELOCITIES GAS With the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) we monitored the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571 over seven epochs from 2017 September 21 to October 2. Using ASKAP observations, we studied the H i absorption spectrum from gas clouds along the line of sight and thereby constrained the distance to the source. The maximum negative radial velocities measured from the H i absorption spectra for MAXI J1535-571 and an extragalactic source in the same field of view are -69 ± 4 and -89 ± 4 km s-1, respectively. This rules out the far kinematic distance (9.3+0.5 -0.6 kpc), giving a most likely distance of 4.1+0.6 -0.5 kpc, with a strong upper limit of the tangent point at 6.7+0.1 -0.2 kpc. At our preferred distance, the peak unabsorbed luminosity of MAXI J1535-571 was >78 per cent of the Eddington luminosity, and shows that the soft-to-hard spectral state transition occurred at the very low luminosity of (1.2-3.4) × 10-5 times the Eddington luminosity. Finally, this study highlights the capabilities of new wide-field radio telescopes to probe Galactic transient outbursts, by allowing us to observe both a target source and a background comparison source in a single telescope pointing. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90314 10.1093/mnrasl/slz113 English http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slz113 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100346 OXFORD UNIV PRESS fulltext
spellingShingle Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
black hole physics
ISM: jets and outflows
X-rays: binaries
X-rays: individual: MAXI J1535-571
VELOCITIES
GAS
Chauhan, Jaiverdhan
Miller-Jones, James
Anderson, Gemma
Raja, W.
Bahramian, Arash
Hotan, A.
Indermuehle, B.
Whiting, M.
Allison, J.R.
Anderson, C.
Bunton, J.
Koribalski, B.
Mahony, E.
An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571
title An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571
title_full An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571
title_fullStr An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571
title_full_unstemmed An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571
title_short An H i absorption distance to the black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571
title_sort h i absorption distance to the black hole candidate x-ray binary maxi j1535-571
topic Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
black hole physics
ISM: jets and outflows
X-rays: binaries
X-rays: individual: MAXI J1535-571
VELOCITIES
GAS
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slz113
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slz113
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slz113
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90314