Bibcode
Casares, J.
Referencia bibliográfica
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 822, Issue 2, article id. 99, pp. (2016).
Fecha de publicación:
5
2016
Revista
Número de citas
45
Número de citas referidas
43
Descripción
We find that the mass ratio q in quiescent black hole (BH) X-ray
transients is tightly correlated with the ratio of the double-peak
separation (DP) to the full width half maximum (FWHM) of the H
α emission line, {log}q=-6.88-23.2\quad {log}({DP}/{FWHM}).
This correlation is explained through the efficient truncation of the
outer disk radius by the 3:1 resonance with the companion star. This is
the dominant tidal interaction for extreme mass ratios
q={M}2/{M}1≲ 0.25, the realm of BH (and some
neutron star) X-ray transients. Mass ratios can thus be estimated with a
typical uncertainty of ≈32%, provided that the H α
profile used to measure DP/FWHM is an orbital phase average. We apply
the DP/FWHM–q relation to the three faint BH transients XTE
J1650–500, XTE J1859+226, and Swift J1357–0933 and predict
q={0.026}-0.007+0.038,
{0.049}-0.012+0.023 and
{0.040}-0.005+0.003, respectively. This new
relation, together with the {FWHM}{--}{K}2 correlation
presented in Paper I, allows the extraction of fundamental parameters
from very faint targets and, therefore, the extension of dynamical BH
studies to much deeper limits than was previously possible. As an
example, we combine our mass ratio determination for Swift
J1357–0933 with previous reported values to yield a BH mass of
12.4 ± 3.6 M ⊙. This confirms Swift
J1357–0933 as one of the most massive BH low-mass X-ray binaries
in the Galaxy.