Start year
1997
Organizational Unit
Organizing institutions
Grants related:
General
Description
Accreting black-holes and neutron stars in X-ray binaries provide an ideal laboratory for exploring the physics of compact objects, yielding not only confirmation of the existence of stellar mass black holes via dynamical mass measurements, but also the best opportunity for probing high-gravity environments and the physics of accretion; the most efficient form of energy production known. The latter is an essential physical process to understand the universe, playing a crucial role in galactic and extra-galactic astronomy.
This project has the following scientific goals:
- X-ray binaries offer the opportunity to study accretion as its best, since their relevant changes occur on convenient time-scales for human beings. This project focuses on the universal relation between black-hole accretion and ejection processes in the form of collimated jets and wide-angle winds. We will focus on the general properties and astrophysical impact of the cold optical accretion disc wind that our group has discovered. We want to understand how frequent these winds are, which is their impact in the black-hole accretion process, and what is their relation with jets and hot X-ray winds. Likewise, we carry out very detailed X-ray spectral studies on the different accretion states and geometries and their evolution with luminosity.
- We want to define the mass distribution of black-holes and neutron stars. Thus, we continue our contribution to one of the fundamental experiments in modern astrophysics by measuring dynamical masses in X-ray binaries. We expect to significantly improve the observed mass distribution of compact objects. This will allow testing models of supernovae explosions and close binary evolution as well as setting constraints on the equation of state of nuclear matter. We will measure masses in newly discovered or known transient X-ray binaries. In addition, we will also search for the large number of dormant X-ray binaries expected in the Galaxy and suitable for dynamical studies.
- To study the structure of accretion discs in different energy bands (optical-X rays). The high energy spectral distribution and time variability during outburst is important to constrain the eruption models and accretion disc properties (e.g. radius of advective disc) as well as to constrain the contribution of the jet to the optical and infrared emission of the system.
see group web page: https://research.iac.es/proyecto/compactos/pages/en/introduction.php
Members
Principal investigator
Montserrat
Armas Padilla
Project staff
Jorge
Casares Velázquez
Tariq
Shahbaz
Teodoro
Muñoz Darias
Manuel Ángel
Pérez Torres
Virginia Anahi
Cúneo
María Guayente
Panizo Espinar
Ignacio
González Martínez-Pais
Pablo
Rodríguez Gil
Jonay Isai
González Hernández
Collaborators
Prof.
P. Charles
Prof.
R. Fender
Prof.
P. Jonker -
Prof.
T. Marsh
Dr.
D. Steeghs
Dr.
S. Motta
Prof.
T. Belloni
Dr.
K. O'Brien
Dr.
B. Gaensicke
Prof.
J.M. Paredes
Dr.
M. Ribó
Dr.
J. Marti
Prof.
S. Campana
Dr.
P. D’Avanzo
Dr.
I. Negueruela
Dr.
J.M. Corral-Santana
Dr.
D. Russell
Prof.
Rudy Wijnands
Dr.
N. Degenaar
Dr.
A. de Ugarte
Dr.
Y. Ueda
Dr.
R.I. Hynes
María Jesús
Arevalo Morales
Josefa
Becerra González
Artemio
Herrero Davo
Garik
Israelian
Results
- Our team has led the multi-wavelength study of the two 2015 outbursts of the Black-hole transient V404 Cyg. In 2018, we published a global paper which include all the spectroscopy taken during the 1989 and 2015 campaigns.
- We have presented solid evidence for the presence of very similar wind to that found in V404 Cyg in another black hole transient, V4641 Sgr.
- We published the final paper as well as a pilot study on a novel method developed by the group. It aims at discovering and measuring masses of black hole transient in quiescence. This method has the potential of increasing the known population of these systems by a factor of three.
- We measured the mass of the neutron star in PSR J2215+5135 and found it is one of the heaviest known to date.
- We presented the first detailed study on the ultra-compact system SLX 1737-282.
Scientific activity
Related publications
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Einstein@Home discovery of the gamma-ray millisecond pulsar PSR J2039-5617 confirms its predicted redback natureThe Fermi Large Area Telescope gamma-ray source 3FGL J2039.6-5618 contains a periodic optical and X-ray source that was predicted to be a 'redback' millisecond pulsar (MSP) binary system. However, the conclusive identification required the detection of pulsations from the putative MSP. To better constrain the orbital parameters for a directedClark, C. J. et al.
Advertised on:
32021 -
Dynamical modelling of CXOGBS J175553.2-281633: a 10 h long orbital period cataclysmic variableWe present modelling of the long-term optical light and radial velocity curves of the binary stellar system CXOGBS J175553.2-281633, first detected in X-rays in the Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey. We analysed 7 yr of optical I-band photometry from Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment and found long-term variations from year to year. These longGomez, Sebastian et al.
Advertised on:
32021 -
NIR counterparts to ULXs (III): completing the photometric survey and selected spectroscopic resultsWe present results from the remaining sources in our search for near-infrared (NIR) candidate counterparts to ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) within ≃10 Mpc. We observed 23 ULXs in 15 galaxies and detected NIR candidate counterparts to 6 of them. Two of these have an absolute magnitude consistent with a single red supergiant (RSG). ThreeLópez, K. M. et al.
Advertised on:
92020 -
Processing GOTO data with the Rubin Observatory LSST Science Pipelines I: Production of coadded framesThe past few decades have seen the burgeoning of wide-field, high-cadence surveys, the most formidable of which will be the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) to be conducted by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. So new is the field of systematic time-domain survey astronomy; however, that major scientific insights will continue to be obtainedMullaney, J. R. et al.
Advertised on:
12021 -
Using radial velocities to reveal black holes in binaries: A test caseAims: Large radial velocity variations in the LAMOST spectra of giant stars have been used to infer the presence of unseen companions. Some of them have been proposed as possible black hole candidates. We test this selection by investigating the classification of the one candidate that has a known X-ray counterpart (UCAC4 721-037069). Methods: WeClavel, M. et al.
Advertised on:
12021 -
Delimiting the black hole mass in the X-ray transient MAXI J1659-152 with Hα spectroscopyMAXI J1659-152 is a 2.4 h orbital period X-ray dipping transient black hole candidate. We present spectroscopy of its I ≍ 23 quiescent counterpart, where we detect Hα emission with full width half maximum (FWHM) of 3200 ± 300 km s -1. Applying the correlation between the Hα FWHM and radial velocity semi-amplitude of the donor star for quiescent XTorres, M. A. P. et al.
Advertised on:
22021 -
Probing Jet Launching in Neutron Star X-Ray Binaries: The Variable and Polarized Jet of SAX J1808.4-3658We report on an optical photometric and polarimetric campaign on the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP) SAX J1808.4-3658 during its 2019 outburst. The emergence of a low-frequency excess in the spectral energy distribution in the form of a red excess above the disk spectrum (seen most prominently in the z, i, and R bands) is observed as theBaglio, M. C. et al.
Advertised on:
122020 -
Optical spectroscopy of 4U 1812-12. An ultra-compact X-ray binary seen through an H II regionThe persistent low-luminosity neutron star X-ray binary 4U 1812-12 is a potential member of the scarce family of ultra-compact systems. We performed deep photometric and spectroscopic optical observations with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias in order to investigate the chemical composition of the accreted plasma, which is a proxy for the donorArmas Padilla, M. et al.
Advertised on:
122020 -
Machine learning for transient recognition in difference imaging with minimum sampling effortThe amount of observational data produced by time-domain astronomy is exponentially increasing. Human inspection alone is not an effective way to identify genuine transients from the data. An automatic real-bogus classifier is needed and machine learning techniques are commonly used to achieve this goal. Building a training set with a sufficientlyMong, Y. -L. et al.
Advertised on:
102020 -
A DESGW Search for the Electromagnetic Counterpart to the LIGO/Virgo Gravitational-wave Binary Neutron Star Merger Candidate S190510gWe present the results from a search for the electromagnetic counterpart of the LIGO/Virgo event S190510g using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam). S190510g is a binary neutron star (BNS) merger candidate of moderate significance detected at a distance of 227 ± 92 Mpc and localized within an area of 31 (1166) square degrees at 50% (90%) confidenceGarcia, A. et al.
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112020 -
Discovery of a Gamma-Ray Black Widow Pulsar by GPU-accelerated Einstein@HomeWe report the discovery of 1.97 ms period gamma-ray pulsations from the 75 minute orbital-period binary pulsar now named PSR J1653-0158. The associated Fermi Large Area Telescope gamma-ray source 4FGL J1653.6-0158 has long been expected to harbor a binary millisecond pulsar. Despite the pulsar-like gamma-ray spectrum and candidate optical/X-rayNieder, L. et al.
Advertised on:
102020 -
Observational constraints on the optical and near-infrared emission from the neutron star-black hole binary merger candidate S190814bvContext. Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy has rapidly reached maturity, becoming a fundamental observing window for modern astrophysics. The coalescences of a few tens of black hole (BH) binaries have been detected, while the number of events possibly including a neutron star (NS) is still limited to a few. On 2019 August 14, the LIGO and VirgoAckley, K. et al.
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112020 -
NICER observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348-630 is a black hole X-ray binaryWe studied the outburst evolution and timing properties of the recently discovered X-ray transient MAXI J1348-630 as observed with NICER. We produced the fundamental diagrams commonly used to trace the spectral evolution, and power density spectra to study the fast X-ray variability. The main outburst evolution of MAXI J1348-630 is similar to thatZhang, L. et al.
Advertised on:
92020 -
An underlying clock in the extreme flip-flop state transitions of the black hole transient Swift J1658.2-4242Aims: Flip-flops are top-hat-like X-ray flux variations, which have been observed in some transient accreting black hole binary systems, and feature simultaneous changes in the spectral hardness and the power density spectrum (PDS). They occur at a crucial time in the evolution of these systems, when the accretion disc emission starts to dominateBogensberger, D. et al.
Advertised on:
92020 -
Soft X-ray emission lines in the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 observed with XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer: disc atmosphere or wind?We find soft X-ray emission lines from the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 in data from XMM-NewtonReflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS): N VII, O VII, and O VIII, as well as notable residuals short of a detection at Ne IX and other higher ionization transitions. These could be associated with the disc atmosphere, as in accretion disc corona sourcesBuisson, D. J. K. et al.
Advertised on:
82020 -
Discovery of optical outflows and inflows in the black hole candidate GRS 1716-249We present optical spectroscopy obtained with the GTC, VLT, and SALT telescopes during the decline of the 2016-2017 outburst of the black hole candidate GRS 1716-249 (Nova Oph 1993). Our 18-epoch data set spans 6 months and reveals that the observational properties of the main emission lines are very variable, even on time-scales of a few hoursCúneo, V. A. et al.
Advertised on:
82020 -
Phase-dependent Study of Near-infrared Disk Emission Lines in LB-1The mass, origin, and evolutionary stage of the binary system LB-1 have been intensely debated, following the claim that it hosts an ∼70M ☉ black hole, in stark contrast with the expectations for Galactic remnants. We conducted a high-resolution, phase-resolved spectroscopic study of its Paschen lines, using the Calar Alto 3.5 m telescope. We findLiu, Jifeng et al.
Advertised on:
92020 -
X-ray spectral and timing evolution of MAXI J1727-203 with NICERWe present a detailed X-ray spectral and variability study of the full 2018 outburst of MAXI J1727-203 using NICER observations. The outburst lasted approximately four months. Spectral modelling in the 0.3-10 keV band shows the presence of both a soft thermal and a hard Comptonised component. The analysis of these components shows that MAXI J1727Alabarta, K. et al.
Advertised on:
82020 -
Swift/XRT, Chandra, and XMM-Newton observations of IGR J17091-3624 as it returns into quiescenceIGR J17091-3624 is a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB), which received wide attention from the community thanks to its similarities with the bright black hole system GRS 1915+105. Both systems exhibit a wide range of highly structured X-ray variability during outburst, with time-scales from few seconds to tens of minutes, which make them unique in thePereyra, M. et al.
Advertised on:
72020 -
Searching for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave merger events with the prototype Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO-4)We report the results of optical follow-up observations of 29 gravitational-wave (GW) triggers during the first half of the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration (LVC) O3 run with the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) in its prototype 4-telescope configuration (GOTO-4). While no viable electromagnetic (EM) counterpart candidate was identifiedGompertz, B. P. et al.
Advertised on:
72020
