Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries
Quiescent black hole X-ray binaries (X-ray luminosities ≲1034 erg s−1) are believed to be fed by hot accretion flows that launch compact, relativistic jets. However, due to their low luminosities, quiescent jets have been detected in the radio waveband from only five systems so far. Here, we present...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91522 |
| _version_ | 1848765537492926464 |
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| author | Plotkin, Richard Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Reynolds, M.T. Atri, P. Maccarone, T.J. Shaw, A.W. Gandhi, P. |
| author_facet | Plotkin, Richard Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Reynolds, M.T. Atri, P. Maccarone, T.J. Shaw, A.W. Gandhi, P. |
| author_sort | Plotkin, Richard |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Quiescent black hole X-ray binaries (X-ray luminosities ≲1034 erg s−1) are believed to be fed by hot accretion flows that launch compact, relativistic jets. However, due to their low luminosities, quiescent jets have been detected in the radio waveband from only five systems so far. Here, we present radio observations of two quiescent black hole X-ray binaries with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. One system, GS 1124-684, was not detected. The other system, BW Cir, was detected over two different epochs in 2018 and 2020, for which we also obtained quasi-simultaneous X-ray detections with Chandra and Swift. BW Cir is now the sixth quiescent X-ray binary with a confirmed radio jet. However, the distance to BW Cir is uncertain, and we find that BW Cir shows different behaviour in the radio/X-ray luminosity plane depending on the correct distance. Estimates based on its G-type subgiant donor star place BW Cir at >25 kpc, while initial optical astrometric measurements from Gaia Data Release 2 suggested likely distances of just a few kpc. Here, we use the most recent measurements from Gaia Early Data Release 3 and find a distance d = 7.1+4.8−3.9 kpc and a potential kick velocity PKV = 165+81−17 km s−1, with distances up to ≈20 kpc possible based on its parallax and proper motion. Even though there is now less tension between the parallax and donor-star based distance measurements, it remains an unresolved matter, and we conclude with suggestions on how to reconcile the two measurements. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:36:50Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-91522 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:36:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | OXFORD UNIV PRESS |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-915222023-05-11T03:06:27Z Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries Plotkin, Richard Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Reynolds, M.T. Atri, P. Maccarone, T.J. Shaw, A.W. Gandhi, P. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics stars: individual: BW Cir stars: individual: GS 1124-684 X-rays: binaries V404 CYGNI GS 1354-64 MILKY-WAY ACCRETION EMISSION STATE VARIABILITY Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics stars: individual: BW Cir stars: individual: GS 1124-684 X-rays: binaries ADVECTION-DOMINATED ACCRETION HARD-STATE FLUX CORRELATION V404 CYGNI GS 1354-64 GX 339-4 EMISSION OUTBURST DISTANCES A0620-00 astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE Quiescent black hole X-ray binaries (X-ray luminosities ≲1034 erg s−1) are believed to be fed by hot accretion flows that launch compact, relativistic jets. However, due to their low luminosities, quiescent jets have been detected in the radio waveband from only five systems so far. Here, we present radio observations of two quiescent black hole X-ray binaries with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. One system, GS 1124-684, was not detected. The other system, BW Cir, was detected over two different epochs in 2018 and 2020, for which we also obtained quasi-simultaneous X-ray detections with Chandra and Swift. BW Cir is now the sixth quiescent X-ray binary with a confirmed radio jet. However, the distance to BW Cir is uncertain, and we find that BW Cir shows different behaviour in the radio/X-ray luminosity plane depending on the correct distance. Estimates based on its G-type subgiant donor star place BW Cir at >25 kpc, while initial optical astrometric measurements from Gaia Data Release 2 suggested likely distances of just a few kpc. Here, we use the most recent measurements from Gaia Early Data Release 3 and find a distance d = 7.1+4.8−3.9 kpc and a potential kick velocity PKV = 165+81−17 km s−1, with distances up to ≈20 kpc possible based on its parallax and proper motion. Even though there is now less tension between the parallax and donor-star based distance measurements, it remains an unresolved matter, and we conclude with suggestions on how to reconcile the two measurements. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91522 10.1093/mnras/stab644 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 OXFORD UNIV PRESS fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics stars: individual: BW Cir stars: individual: GS 1124-684 X-rays: binaries V404 CYGNI GS 1354-64 MILKY-WAY ACCRETION EMISSION STATE VARIABILITY Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics stars: individual: BW Cir stars: individual: GS 1124-684 X-rays: binaries ADVECTION-DOMINATED ACCRETION HARD-STATE FLUX CORRELATION V404 CYGNI GS 1354-64 GX 339-4 EMISSION OUTBURST DISTANCES A0620-00 astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE Plotkin, Richard Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Reynolds, M.T. Atri, P. Maccarone, T.J. Shaw, A.W. Gandhi, P. Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries |
| title | Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries |
| title_full | Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries |
| title_fullStr | Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries |
| title_short | Towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole X-ray binaries |
| title_sort | towards a larger sample of radio jets from quiescent black hole x-ray binaries |
| topic | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics stars: individual: BW Cir stars: individual: GS 1124-684 X-rays: binaries V404 CYGNI GS 1354-64 MILKY-WAY ACCRETION EMISSION STATE VARIABILITY Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics stars: individual: BW Cir stars: individual: GS 1124-684 X-rays: binaries ADVECTION-DOMINATED ACCRETION HARD-STATE FLUX CORRELATION V404 CYGNI GS 1354-64 GX 339-4 EMISSION OUTBURST DISTANCES A0620-00 astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91522 |