Disc and wind in black hole X-ray binary MAXIJ1820+070 observed through polarized light during its 2018 outburst

Abstract

We describe the first complete polarimetric dataset of the entire outburst of a low-mass black hole X-ray binary system and discuss the constraints for geometry and radiative mechanisms it imposes. During the decaying hard state, when the optical flux is dominated by the non-thermal component, the observed polarization is consistent with the interstellar values in all filters. During the soft state, the intrinsic polarization of the source is small, $\sim 0.15$ per cent in $B$ and $V$ filters, and is likely produced in the irradiated disc. A much higher polarization, reaching $\sim 0.5$ per cent in $V$ and $R$ filters, at position angle of $\sim 25^{\circ }$ observed in the rising hard state coincides in time with the detection of winds in the system. This angle coincides with the position angle of the jet. The detected optical polarization is best explained by scattering of the non-thermal (hot flow or jet base) radiation in an equatorial wind.

5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table. Accepted to MNRAS Letters

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Cited by in corpus (2)

• Measuring fundamental jet properties with multi-wavelength fast timing of the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070
• The Varying Kinematics of Multiple Ejecta from the Black Hole X-ray Binary MAXI J1820+070