Related papers: Testing general relativity with the stellar-mass b…
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…
Extreme-mass-ratio-inspiral observations from future space-based gravitational-wave detectors such as LISA will enable strong-field tests of general relativity with unprecedented precision, but at prohibitive computational cost if existing…
In this Letter, we have developed a numerically efficient framework for evaluating parameters in metric theories of gravity, and applied it to constrain the horizon-scale magnetic field in the Kerr-Bertotti-Robinson (Kerr-BR) spacetime…
We discuss three applications of a gauge theory of gravity to rotating astrophysical systems. The theory employs gauge fields in a flat Minkowski background spacetime to describe gravitational interactions. The iron fluorescence line…
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…
The black hole X-ray binary H1743-322 lies in a region of the Galaxy with high extinction, and therefore it has not been possible to make a dynamical mass measurement. In this paper we make use of a recent model which uses the X-ray…
We report on the analysis of the broad Fe Kalpha line feature of Cygnus X-1 in the spectra of four simultaneous hard intermediate state observations made with the X-ray Multiple Mirror mission (XMM-Newton), the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer…
We present results from observations of persistent black hole candidates with the High Energy Transmission Gratings aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The sources include LMC X-1, LMC X-3, GRS 1758-258, and Cyg X-1. Along with the…
I review the astrophysical insights arising from high-precision astrometric observations of X-ray binary systems, focussing primarily (but not exclusively) on recent results with very long baseline interferometry. Accurate,…
We discuss some topical issues related to the Fe K emission lines in AGNs. We show remarkable agreement between non-contemporaneous ASCA and Chandra grating data and explain why there has been terrible confusion about the ASCA and post-ASCA…
We analyze the variability in the X-ray lightcurves of the black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 by linear and nonlinear time series analysis methods. While a linear model describes the over-all second order properties of the observed data well,…
We present the results of spectral fits made to 57 pointed observations of the Galactic black hole candidate and X-ray transient XTE J1650-500, made with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer in 2001 when the source was in a transition from 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…
Relativistic iron K$\alpha$ spectral emission line from the inner disc of a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) was first detected in 2007. This discovery opened up new ways to probe strong gravity and dense matter. The past decade…
General relativity predicts the spacetime metric around an astrophysical black hole to be described by the Kerr solution, which is a massive rotating black hole without any residual charge. In a previous paper, we analyzed the NuSTAR…
I review here some of the open questions regarding the geometry and emission mechanisms of galactic black hole candidates. For hard states, I concentrate on the perspective of ``disk+Compton coronae'' models (for discussions of jet models,…
Astrophysical black hole candidates are thought to be the Kerr black holes of general relativity. However, macroscopic deviations from the Kerr background are predicted by a number of scenarios beyond Einstein's gravity. X-ray reflection…
A black hole that is ringing down to quiescence emits gravitational radiation of a very specific nature that can inform us of its mass and angular momentum, test the no-hair theorem for black holes, and perhaps even give us additional…
We propose a simple and unambiguous way to deduce the parameters of black holes which may reside in AGNs and some types of X-ray binaries. The black-hole mass and angular momentum are determined in physical units. The method is applicable…
We present the first results from a new method for computing spacetimes representing corotating binary black holes in circular orbits. The method is based on the assumption of exact equilibrium. It uses the standard 3+1 decomposition of…