Chasing the Break: Tracing the Full Evolution of a Black Hole X-Ray Binary Jet with Multiwavelength Spectral Modeling
Journal article, 2024
Black hole (BH) X-ray binaries (XRBs) are ideal targets to study the connection between accretion inflow and jet outflow. Here we present quasi-simultaneous, multiwavelength observations of the Galactic BH system MAXI J1820+070, throughout its 2018-2019 outburst. Our data set includes coverage from the radio through X-ray bands from 17 different instruments/telescopes, and encompasses 19 epochs over a 7 month period, resulting in one of the most well-sampled multiwavelength data sets of a BH XRB outburst to date. With our data, we compile and model the broadband spectra of this source using a phenomenological model that includes emission from the jet, a companion star, and an accretion flow. This modeling allows us to track the evolution of the spectral break in the jet spectrum, a key observable that samples the jet launching region. We find that the spectral break location changes over at least approximate to 3 orders of magnitude in electromagnetic frequency over this period. Using these spectral break measurements, we link the full cycle of jet behavior, including the rising, quenching, and reignition, to the changing accretion flow properties as the source evolves through its different accretion states. Our analysis shows consistent jet behavior with other sources in similar phases of their outbursts, reinforcing the idea that jet quenching and recovery may be a global feature of BH XRB systems in outburst. Our results also provide valuable evidence supporting a close connection between the geometry of the inner accretion flow and the base of the jet.
Author
Constanza Echiburu-Trujillo
University of Colorado at Boulder
Alexandra J. Tetarenko
University of Lethbridge
Daryl Haggard
McGill University
Thomas D. Russell
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Karri I.I. Koljonen
University of Turku
A. Bahramian
Curtin University
Jingyi Wang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Michael Bremer
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Joe Bright
University of Oxford
Piergiorgio Casella
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
David M. Russell
New York University Abu Dhabi
D. Altamirano
University of Southampton
Maria Cristina Baglio
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Tomaso Belloni
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Chiara Ceccobello
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Stephane Corbel
University Paris-Saclay
Maria Diaz Trigo
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
D. Maitra
Wheaton College
Aldrin Gabuya
Al Sadeem Observatory
Elena Gallo
University of Michigan
Sebastian Heinz
University of Wisconsin Madison
Jeroen Homan
Eureka Scientific, Inc.
Erin Kara
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Elmar Körding
Radboud University
Fraser Lewis
Cardiff University
Matteo Lucchini
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Sera Markoff
Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)
S. Migliari
Aurora Technology B.V.
James C. A. Miller-Jones
Curtin University
Jerome Rodriguez
University Paris-Saclay
Payaswini Saikia
New York University Abu Dhabi
Craig Sarazin
University of Virginia
Tariq Shahbaz
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Gregory R. Sivakoff
University of Alberta
Roberto Soria
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Vincenzo Testa
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
B. E. Tetarenko
McGill University
V. Tudose
Institute for Space Sciences
Astrophysical Journal
0004-637X (ISSN) 1538-4357 (eISSN)
Vol. 962 2 116Subject Categories
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
DOI
10.3847/1538-4357/ad1a10