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Fast infrared variability from a relativistic jet in GX 339-4

  • P. Casella
  • , T. J. Maccarone
  • , K. O'Brien
  • , R. P. Fender
  • , D. M. Russell
  • , M. van der Klis
  • , A. Pe'er
  • , D. Maitra
  • , D. Altamirano
  • , T. Belloni
  • , G. Kanbach
  • , M. Klein-Wolt
  • , E. Mason
  • , P. Soleri
  • , A. Stefanescu
  • , K. Wiersema
  • , R. Wijnands
  • University of Amsterdam
  • University of Southampton
  • European Southern Observatory
  • Space Telescope Science Institute
  • Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
  • Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
  • Altran BV.
  • Semiconductor Laboratory of the Max Planck Society
  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
  • University of Leicester

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

125 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the discovery of fast infrared/X-ray correlated variability in the black hole transient GX 339-4. The source was observed with subsecond time resolution simultaneously with Very Large Telescope/Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer/Proportional Counter Array in 2008 August, during its persistent low-flux highly variable hard state. The data show a strong correlated variability, with the infrared emission lagging the X-ray emission by 100 ms. The short time delay and the nearly symmetric cross-correlation function, together with the measured brightness temperature of ~2.5 × 106 K, indicate that the bright and highly variable infrared emission most likely comes from a jet near the black hole. Under standard assumptions about jet physics, the measured time delay can provide us a lower limit of Γ > 2 for the Lorentz factor of the jet. This suggests that jets from stellar-mass black holes are at least mildly relativistic near their launching region. We discuss implications for future applications of this technique.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L21-L25
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Volume404
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2010
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
Seventh Framework Programme215212, 237722
Science and Technology Facilities CouncilST/G003084/1

    Keywords

    • Black hole physics
    • Stars: winds, outflows
    • X-rays: binaries
    • X-rays: individual: GX 339-4

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