Related papers: The Low-Spin Black Hole in LMC X-3
Measurements of the angular momentum (spin) of astrophysical black holes are extremely important, as they provide information on the black hole formation and evolution. We present simulated observations of a X-ray binary system with the…
Over the last decades X-ray spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful tool for the estimation of black hole spin and several other key parameters in dozens of AGN and black hole X-ray binaries. In this White Paper, we discuss the…
Measurements of black hole spin made using the continuum-fitting method rely on the assumption that the inclination of the black hole's spin axis to our line of sight is the same as the orbital inclination angle of the host binary system.…
As a transient X-ray binary, MAXI J1659-152 contains a black hole candidate as its compact star. MAXI J1659-152 was discovered on 2010 September 25 during its only known outburst. Previously-published studies of this outburst indicate that…
The analysis of the thermal spectrum of geometrically thin and optically thick accretion disks of black holes, the so-called continuum-fitting method, is one of the leading techniques for measuring black hole spins. Current models normally…
Spin of an accreting black hole can be determined by spectroscopy of the emission and absorption features produced in the inner regions of an accretion disc. We discuss the method employing the relativistic line profiles of iron in the…
We present an analysis of the observed broad iron line feature and putative warm absorber in the long 2001 XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert-1.2 galaxy MCG-6-30-15. The new "kerrdisk" model we have designed for simulating line emission…
We present a survey of how the spectral features of black hole X-ray binary systems depend on spin, accretion rate, viewing angle, and Fe abundance when predicted on the basis of first principles physical calculations. The power law…
The compact X-ray source in the eclipsing X-ray binary IC 10 X-1 has reigned for years as ostensibly the most massive stellar-mass black hole, with a mass estimated to be about twice that of its closest rival. However, striking results…
We present a spectral analysis of \textit{Insight}-HXMT observations of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1543-47 which locates in our Milky Way galaxy during the 2021 outburst. We focus on the observations in its soft state, and attempt to…
We report the results of fitting Insight-HXMT data to the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1348-430, which was discovered on January 26th, 2019, with the Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on-board MAXI. Several observations at the beginning of the first…
The spin of Cygnus X-1 is measured by fitting reflection models to Suzaku data covering the energy band 0.9-400 keV. The inner radius of the accretion disc is found to lie within 2 gravitational radii (r_g=GM/c^2) and a value for the…
We present three simultaneous/quasi-simultaneous NuSTAR and Swift datasets of the black hole GRS 1716-249 in its hard intermediate state. The accretion disk in this state may have reached the innermost stable circular orbit, and the NuSTAR…
We present a new analysis of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the 2002 outburst of the transient X-ray nova 4U 1543-47. We focus on observations in the High/Soft state, and attempt to measure the spin of the black hole by…
Recent X-ray timing and spectral observations of black hole binaries in outburst have redefined methods for investigating the properties of Galactic black holes and the physics of accretion flows. High-frequency X-ray QPOs in 5 systems…
We present a comprehensive Bayesian spectral analysis of the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630-47 during its 2022 outburst, using simultaneous \textit{NICER} and \textit{NuSTAR} observations. Using the traditional frequentist approach, we…
During its 2003 outburst, the black-hole X-ray transient H1743-322 produced two-sided radio and X-ray jets. Applying a simple and symmetric kinematic model to the trajectories of these jets, we determine the source distance, 8.5 \pm 0.8…
We extend our recent work on black hole spin in X-ray binary systems to include an analysis of 189 archival NuSTAR observations from 24 sources. Using self-consistent data reduction pipelines, spectral models, and statistical techniques, we…
We attempt to constrain the black hole spin in GX 339-4 from spectral fitting of disc dominated data using RXTE spectra from the three most recent outbursts. We use the best current models for the disc emission, including full radiative…
We review current challenges in understanding the values and origin of the spins of black holes in binaries. Thanks to recent advances in astrophysical instrumentation, the spins can now be measured using both gravitational waves emitted by…