NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays

M. L. Parker; J. A. Tomsick; J. A. Kennea; J. M. Miller; F. A. Harrison; D. Barret; S. E. Boggs; Finn Erland Christensen; W. W. Craig; A. C. Fabian; F. Fürst; V. Grinberg; C. J. Hailey; P. Romano; D. Stern; D. J. Walton; W. W. Zhang

doi:10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays

M. L. Parker, J. A. Tomsick, J. A. Kennea, J. M. Miller, F. A. Harrison, D. Barret, S. E. Boggs, Finn Erland Christensen, W. W. Craig, A. C. Fabian, F. Fürst, V. Grinberg, C. J. Hailey, P. Romano, D. Stern, D. J. Walton, W. W. Zhang

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Abstract

We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95(-0.08)(+0.02) and inclination of 30 degrees +/- 1 degrees (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0(-1.2)(+1.6) M-circle dot and distance of 8.4 +/- 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).

Original language	English
Article number	L6
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal. Letters
Volume	821
Issue number	1
Number of pages	6
ISSN	2041-8205
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6
Publication status	Published - 2016

Keywords

X-ray binaries
Stellar radiation and spectra
black holes
statistical analysis
stellar spectra
X-ray binary stars
X-ray spectra
spectral fitting
Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observation data
Swift observation data
relativistic reflection modeling
black hole spin
statistical errors
disk spectrum
physical parameters
continuum fitting method
X-ray spectrum

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Parker, M. L., Tomsick, J. A., Kennea, J. A., Miller, J. M., Harrison, F. A., Barret, D., Boggs, S. E., Christensen, F. E., Craig, W. W., Fabian, A. C., Fürst, F., Grinberg, V., Hailey, C. J., Romano, P., Stern, D., Walton, D. J., & Zhang, W. W. (2016). NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays. The Astrophysical Journal. Letters, 821(1), Article L6. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

@article{027c9507d3574b9499570623258b2dd8,

title = "NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays",

abstract = "We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95(-0.08)(+0.02) and inclination of 30 degrees +/- 1 degrees (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0(-1.2)(+1.6) M-circle dot and distance of 8.4 +/- 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).",

keywords = "X-ray binaries, Stellar radiation and spectra, black holes, statistical analysis, stellar spectra, X-ray binary stars, X-ray spectra, spectral fitting, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observation data, Swift observation data, relativistic reflection modeling, black hole spin, statistical errors, disk spectrum, physical parameters, continuum fitting method, X-ray spectrum",

author = "Parker, {M. L.} and Tomsick, {J. A.} and Kennea, {J. A.} and Miller, {J. M.} and Harrison, {F. A.} and D. Barret and Boggs, {S. E.} and Christensen, {Finn Erland} and Craig, {W. W.} and Fabian, {A. C.} and F. F{\"u}rst and V. Grinberg and Hailey, {C. J.} and P. Romano and D. Stern and Walton, {D. J.} and Zhang, {W. W.}",

year = "2016",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6",

language = "English",

volume = "821",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal. Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "1",

}

Parker, ML, Tomsick, JA, Kennea, JA, Miller, JM, Harrison, FA, Barret, D, Boggs, SE, Christensen, FE, Craig, WW, Fabian, AC, Fürst, F, Grinberg, V, Hailey, CJ, Romano, P, Stern, D, Walton, DJ & Zhang, WW 2016, 'NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays', The Astrophysical Journal. Letters, vol. 821, no. 1, L6. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

TY - JOUR

T1 - NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays

AU - Parker, M. L.

AU - Tomsick, J. A.

AU - Kennea, J. A.

AU - Miller, J. M.

AU - Harrison, F. A.

AU - Barret, D.

AU - Boggs, S. E.

AU - Christensen, Finn Erland

AU - Craig, W. W.

AU - Fabian, A. C.

AU - Fürst, F.

AU - Grinberg, V.

AU - Hailey, C. J.

AU - Romano, P.

AU - Stern, D.

AU - Walton, D. J.

AU - Zhang, W. W.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95(-0.08)(+0.02) and inclination of 30 degrees +/- 1 degrees (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0(-1.2)(+1.6) M-circle dot and distance of 8.4 +/- 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).

AB - We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95(-0.08)(+0.02) and inclination of 30 degrees +/- 1 degrees (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0(-1.2)(+1.6) M-circle dot and distance of 8.4 +/- 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).

KW - X-ray binaries

KW - Stellar radiation and spectra

KW - black holes

KW - statistical analysis

KW - stellar spectra

KW - X-ray binary stars

KW - X-ray spectra

KW - spectral fitting

KW - Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observation data

KW - Swift observation data

KW - relativistic reflection modeling

KW - black hole spin

KW - statistical errors

KW - disk spectrum

KW - physical parameters

KW - continuum fitting method

KW - X-ray spectrum

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

DO - 10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 821

JO - The Astrophysical Journal. Letters

JF - The Astrophysical Journal. Letters

IS - 1

M1 - L6

ER -

NuSTARand Swift observations of the very high state in GX 339-4: Weighing the black hole with X-rays

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