MAXI J1659-152: The shortest orbital period black-hole transient in outburst

Abstract

MAXI J1659-152 is a bright X-ray transient black-hole candidate binary system discovered in September 2010. We report here on MAXI, RXTE, Swift, and XMM-Newton observations during its 2010/2011 outburst. We find that during the first one and a half week of the outburst the X-ray light curves display drops in intensity at regular intervals, which we interpret as absorption dips. About three weeks into the outbursts, again drops in intensity are seen. These dips have, however, a spectral behaviour opposite to that of the absorption dips, and are related to fast spectral state changes (hence referred to as transition dips). The absorption dips recur with a period of 2.414+/-0.005 hrs, which we interpret as the orbital period of the system. This implies that MAXI J1659-152 is the shortest period black-hole candidate binary known to date. The inclination of the accretion disk with respect to the line of sight is estimated to be 65-80 degrees. We propose the companion to the black-hole candidate to be close to an M5 dwarf star, with a mass and radius of about 0.15-0.25 M_sun and 0.2-0.25 R_sun, respectively. We derive that the companion had an initial mass of about 1.5 M_sun, which evolved to its current mass in about 5-6 billion years. The system is rather compact (orbital separation of larger than ~1.33 R_sun), and is located at a distance of 8.6+/-3.7 kpc, with a height above the Galactic plane of 2.4+/-1.0 kpc. The characteristics of short orbital period and high Galactic scale height are shared with two other transient black-hole candidate X-ray binaries, i.e., XTE J1118+480 and Swift J1735.5-0127. We suggest that all three are kicked out of the Galactic plane into the halo, rather than being formed in a globular cluster.

20 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

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• Multiwavelength spectral and high time resolution observations of SWIFT J1753.5-0127: new activity?
• Combined Spectral and Timing Analysis of the Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1659-152 Discovered by MAXI and Swift
• Variations in the dip properties of the low-mass X-ray binary XB 1254-69 observed with XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL
• VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of the candidate black-hole X-ray binary MAXI J1659-152 in outburst
• Optical emission of the black hole X-ray transient MAXI J1659-152 during quiescence
• Fast variability from X-ray binaries

Cited by in corpus (73)

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• Spectroscopic evidence for a low-mass black hole in SWIFT J1753.5-0127
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• Modelling the cross-spectral variability of the black hole binary MAXI J1659-152 with propagating accretion rate fluctuations
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• Low-mass X-ray binaries from black-hole retaining globular clusters
• VLBI observations of the shortest orbital period black hole binary, MAXI J1659-152
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• AstroSat Observation of X-ray Dips and State Transition in the Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1803-298
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• Inclination effects on the X-ray emission of Galactic black-hole binaries
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• The long-term optical evolution of the black hole candidate MAXI J1659-152
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• The very faint hard state of the persistent neutron star X-ray binary SLX 1737-282 near the Galactic centre
• Discovery and Long-term Broadband X-ray monitoring of Galactic Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1803-298
• Are spectral and timing correlations similar in different spectral states in black hole X-ray binaries?
• A retrograde spin of the black hole in MAXI J1659--152
• Eclipses of jets and discs of X-ray binaries as a powerful tool for understanding jet physics and binary parameters
• Swift X-ray Telescope study of the Black Hole Binary MAXI J1659-152: Variability from a two component accretion flow
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• Global Accretion Properties of Black Hole X-Ray Binaries: A Phenomenological Perspective
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