Why is IGR J17091-3624 so faint? Constraints on distance, mass, and spin from `phase-resolved' spectroscopy of the `heartbeat' oscillations

Abstract

IGR J17091--3624 is a transient X-ray source and is believed to be a Galactic black hole candidate. Recently, it has received a considerable attention due to the detection of peculiar variability patterns known as `heartbeats', which are quasi-periodic mini-outbursts repeated over timescales ranging between 5 and 70 s. So far, such variability patterns have been observed only in GRS 1915+105 and these are classified as $\rho$- and $\nu$-variability classes. Here, we present the results of `phase-resolved' spectroscopy of the `heartbeat' oscillations of IGR J17091-3624 using data from simultaneous observations made by RXTE and XMM-Newton. We find that the 0.7--35 keV spectra can be fitted with a `canonical' model for black hole sources consisting of only two components---a multi-temperature disk black body and a power law (or its equivalent). We attempt to constrain the system parameters of the source by simultaneously fitting spectra during different phases of the burst profile while tying the system parameters across the phases. The results indicate that the source is a high inclination binary ($i$>53${}^{\circ }$). Further, the observed low flux from the source can be explained only if the black hole spin is very low, along with constraints on the black hole mass (<5 M${}_{\odot }$) and the distance (>20 kpc). For higher inclination angles, which is favored by the data, the black hole spin is required to be negative. Thus, low or retrograde spin could be the reason for the low luminosity of the source.

4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

References in corpus (6)

• The faint "heartbeats" of IGR J17091-3624: an exceptional black-hole candidate
• An Extreme X-ray Disk Wind in the Black Hole Candidate IGR J17091-3624
• Discovery of high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in the black-hole candidate IGR J17091-3624
• Radiation Pressure and Mass Ejection in Rho-like States of GRS 1915+105
• The peculiar 2011 outburst of the black hole candidate IGR J17091-3624, a GRS 1915+105 like source?
• Spectral states of the X-ray binary IGR J17091--3624 observed by INTEGRAL and RXTE

Cited by in corpus (24)

• Accretion disc atmospheres and winds in low-mass X-ray binaries
• Determination of mass of IGR J17091-3624 from "Spectro-Temporal" variations during onset-phase of the 2011 outburst
• A Systematic View of Ten New Black Hole Spins
• Spectral differences between the jets in `radio loud' and `radio quiet' hard state black hole binaries
• Modified viscosity in accretion disks. Application to Galactic black hole binaries, intermediate mass black holes and AGN
• Effects of adiabatic index on the sonic surface and time variability of low angular momentum accretion flows
• Interplay between heartbeat oscillations and wind outflow in microquasar IGR J17091-3624
• The universal "heartbeat" oscillations in black hole systems accross the mass-scale
• The current state of disk wind observations in BHLMXBs through X-ray absorption lines in the iron band
• Discovery of GRS 1915+105 variability patterns in the Rapid Burster
• Spectral and Timing Properties of IGR J17091-3624 in the Rising Hard State During its 2016 Outburst
• The reflection component in the average and heartbeat spectra of the black-hole candidate IGR J17091-3642 during the 2016 outburst
• Millihertz quasi-periodic oscillations and broad iron line from LMC X-1
• Broad-band spectral evolution and temporal variability of IGR J17091-3624 during its 2016 outburst : SWIFT and NuSTAR results
• High-density reflection spectroscopy of black hole X-ray binaries in the hard state
• A thin diffuse component of the Galactic Ridge X-ray emission and heating of the interstellar medium contributed by the radiation of Galactic X-ray binaries
• AstroSat view of IGR J17091-3624 and GRS 1915+105: decoding the 'pulse' in the 'Heartbeat State'
• A retrograde spin of the black hole in MAXI J1659--152
• Estimating the spin of the black hole candidate MAXI J1659-152 with the X-ray continuum-fitting method
• The spin measurement of MAXI J1348-630 using the Insight-HXMT data
• Swift/XRT, Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of IGR J17091-3624 as it returns into quiescence
• Similarities and Differences in Accretion Flow Properties between GRS 1915+105 and IGR J17091-3624: a Case Study
• Lense-Thirring effect on accretion flow from counter-rotating tori
• Recurrent Instability in LMXB Accretion Disks: How Strange is GRS 1915+105?