Bibcode
Gandhi, P.; Littlefair, S. P.; Hardy, L. K.; Dhillon, V. S.; Marsh, T. R.; Shaw, A. W.; Altamirano, D.; Caballero-Garcia, M. D.; Casares, J.; Casella, P.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Charles, P. A.; Dallilar, Y.; Eikenberry, S.; Fender, R. P.; Hynes, R. I.; Knigge, C.; Kuulkers, E.; Mooley, K.; Muñoz-Darias, T.; Pahari, M.; Rahoui, F.; Russell, D. M.; Hernández Santisteban, J. V.; Shahbaz, T.; Terndrup, D. M.; Tomsick, J.; Walton, D. J.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 459, Issue 1, p.554-572
Advertised on:
6
2016
Citations
61
Refereed citations
48
Description
We present observations of rapid (sub-second) optical flux variability
in V404 Cyg during its 2015 June outburst. Simultaneous three-band
observations with the ULTRACAM fast imager on four nights show steep
power spectra dominated by slow variations on ˜100-1000 s
time-scales. Near the peak of the outburst on June 26, a dramatic change
occurs and additional, persistent sub-second optical flaring appears
close in time to giant radio and X-ray flaring. The flares reach peak
optical luminosities of ˜ few × 1036 erg
s-1. Some are unresolved down to a time resolution of 24 ms.
Whereas the fast flares are stronger in the red, the slow variations are
bluer when brighter. The redder slopes, emitted power and characteristic
time-scales of the fast flares can be explained as optically thin
synchrotron emission from a compact jet arising on size scales
˜140-500 Gravitational radii (with a possible additional
contribution by a thermal particle distribution). The origin of the
slower variations is unclear. The optical continuum spectral slopes are
strongly affected by dereddening uncertainties and contamination by
strong Hα emission, but the variations of these slopes follow
relatively stable loci as a function of flux. Cross-correlating the slow
variations between the different bands shows asymmetries on all nights
consistent with a small red skew (i.e. red lag). X-ray reprocessing and
non-thermal emission could both contribute to these. These data reveal a
complex mix of components over five decades in time-scale during the
outburst.