VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of the candidate black-hole X-ray binary MAXI J1659-152 in outburst - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue The Astrophysical journal letters Année : 2012

VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of the candidate black-hole X-ray binary MAXI J1659-152 in outburst

Ramanpreet Kaur
  • Fonction : Auteur
Lex Kaper
  • Fonction : Auteur
Lucas E. Ellerbroek
  • Fonction : Auteur
David M. Russell
  • Fonction : Auteur
Diego Altamirano
  • Fonction : Auteur
Rudy Wijnands
  • Fonction : Auteur
Yi-Jung Yang
  • Fonction : Auteur
Paolo d'Avanzo
  • Fonction : Auteur
Antonio de Ugarte Postigo
Johan P. U. Fynbo
  • Fonction : Auteur
Christina C. Thone
  • Fonction : Auteur
Alexander van Der Horst
  • Fonction : Auteur
Chryssa Kouveliotou
  • Fonction : Auteur
Klaas Wiersema
  • Fonction : Auteur
Erik Kuulkers
  • Fonction : Auteur

Résumé

We present the optical to near-infrared spectrum of MAXI J1659-152, during the onset of its 2010 X-ray outburst. The spectrum was obtained with X-shooter on the ESO - Very Large Telescope (VLT) early in the outburst simultaneous with high quality observations at both shorter and longer wavelengths. At the time of the observations, the source was in the low-hard state. The X-shooter spectrum includes many broad (~2000 km/s), double-peaked emission profiles of H, HeI, HeII, characteristic signatures of a low-mass X-ray binary during outburst. We detect no spectral signatures of the low-mass companion star. The strength of the diffuse interstellar bands results in a lower limit to the total interstellar extinction of Av ~ 0.4 mag. Using the neutral hydrogen column density obtained from the X-ray spectrum we estimate Av ~1 mag. The radial-velocity structure of the interstellar NaI D and CaII H & K lines results in a lower limit to the distance of ~ 4 +/- 1 kpc, consistent with previous estimates. With this distance and Av, the dereddened spectral energy distribution represents a flat disk spectrum. The two subsequent 10 minute X-shooter spectra show significant variability in the red wing of the emission-line profiles, indicating a global change in the density structure of the disk, though on a timescale much shorter than the typical viscous timescale of the disk.

Dates et versions

hal-00707344 , version 1 (12-06-2012)

Identifiants

Citer

Ramanpreet Kaur, Lex Kaper, Lucas E. Ellerbroek, David M. Russell, Diego Altamirano, et al.. VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of the candidate black-hole X-ray binary MAXI J1659-152 in outburst. The Astrophysical journal letters, 2012, 746 (2), pp.L23. ⟨10.1088/2041-8205/746/2/L23⟩. ⟨hal-00707344⟩
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