Discovery of oscillations above 200 keV in a black hole X-ray binary with Insight-HXMT

Abstract

Low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (LFQPOs) are commonly found in black hole X-ray binaries, and their origin is still under debate. The properties of LFQPOs at high energies (above 30 keV) are closely related to the nature of the accretion flow in the innermost regions, and thus play a crucial role in critically testing various theoretical models. The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) is capable of detecting emissions above 30 keV, and is therefore an ideal instrument to do so. Here we report the discovery of LFQPOs above 200 keV in the new black hole MAXI J1820+070 in the X-ray hard state, which allows us to understand the behaviours of LFQPOs at hundreds of kiloelectronvolts. The phase lag of the LFQPO is constant around zero below 30 keV, and becomes a soft lag (that is, the high-energy photons arrive first) above 30 keV. The soft lag gradually increases with energy and reaches ~0.9s in the 150-200 keV band. The detection at energies above 200 keV, the large soft lag and the energy-related behaviors of the LFQPO pose a great challenge for most currently existing models, but suggest that the LFQPO probably originates from the precession of a small-scale jet.

36 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables; published in Nature Astronomy

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Cited by in corpus (71)

• vKompth: A variable Comptonisation model for low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in black-hole X-ray binaries
• Insight-HXMT observations of jet-like corona in a black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070
• A two-component Comptonisation model for the type-B QPO in MAXI J1348-630
• Accretion Geometry in the Hard State of the Black-Hole X-Ray Binary MAXI J1820+070
• The NICER "Reverberation Machine": A Systematic Study of Time Lags in Black Hole X-Ray Binaries
• The Varying Kinematics of Multiple Ejecta from the Black Hole X-ray Binary MAXI J1820+070
• A full spectral-timing model to map the accretion flow in black hole binaries: the low/hard state of MAXI J1820+070
• The evolution of the corona in MAXI J1535-571 through type-C quasi-periodic oscillations with Insight-HXMT
• Observations of a black hole X-ray binary indicate formation of a magnetically arrested disk
• The comptonizing medium of the black-hole X-ray binary MAXI~J1535$-$571 through type-C quasi-periodic oscillations
• A variable corona during the transition from type-C to type-B quasi-periodic oscillations in the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070
• NICER uncovers the transient nature of the type-B quasi-periodic oscillation in the black hole candidate MAXI J1348-630
• Physical origin of the nonphysical spin evolution of MAXI J1820+070
• Variability and phase lags of the type-C quasi-periodic oscillation of MAXI J1348-630 with NICER
• MAXI J1820+070 X-ray spectral-timing reveals the nature of the accretion flow in black hole binaries
• Transitions and Origin of the Type-B Quasi-Periodic Oscillation in the Black Hole X-ray Binary MAXI~ J1348--630
• Insight-HXMT, NuSTAR and INTEGRAL Data Show Disk Truncation in the Hard State of the Black-Hole X-Ray Binary MAXI J1820+070
• A NICER look at the jet-like corona of MAXI J1535-571 through type-B quasi-periodic oscillations
• Testing evolution of LFQPOs with mass accretion rate in GRS 1915+105 with Insight-HXMT
• Fast infrared variability from the black-hole candidate MAXI J1535$-$571 and tight constraints on the modelling
• A detailed view of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation in the broadband 0.2-200 keV with Insight-HXMT and NICER
• Are Low-Frequency Quasi-Periodic Oscillations seen in accretion flows the disk response to a jet instability?
• Chasing the break: Tracing the full evolution of a black hole X-ray binary jet with multi-wavelength spectral modeling
• Timing properties of the X-ray accreting pulsar 1A 0535+262 studied with Insight-HXMT
• Wavelet analysis of MAXI J1535-571 with Insight-HXMT
• The accretion flow geometry of MAXI J1820+070 through broadband noise research with Insight-HXMT
• Insight-HXMT Study of the Inner Accretion Disk in the Black Hole Candidate EXO 1846--031
• AstroSat view of the newly discovered X-ray transient MAXI~J1803--298 in the Hard-intermediate state
• A Phase-resolved View of the Low-frequency Quasiperiodic Oscillations from the Black Hole Binary MAXI J1820+070
• Sub-second periodic radio oscillations in a microquasar
• Black holes: Timing and spectral properties and evolution
• Energy injection driven by precessing jets in gamma-ray burst afterglows
• Accretion Scenario of MAXI J1820+070 during 2018 Outbursts with Multi-mission Observations
• Hilbert-Huang Transform analysis of quasi-periodic oscillations in MAXI J1820+070
• Fast transitions of X-ray variability in the black hole transient GX 339--4: comparison with MAXI J1820+070 and MAXI J1348-630
• Wavelet analysis of the transient QPOs in MAXI J1535$-$571 with Insight-HXMT
• Synchronous X-ray/Optical QPOs from the Black Hole LMXB MAXI J1820+070
• A broadband spectral-timing study of QPOs in the bright black hole X-ray binary Swift J1727.8-1613
• The evolution of the high-frequency variability in the black hole candidate GRS 1915+105 as seen by RXTE
• A possible overall scenario for the outburst evolution of MAXI J1820+070 revealed by Insight-HXMT
• Reflare in MAXI J1348-630]{Evolution of disc and corona in MAXI J1348-630 during the 2019 reflare: NICER and Insight-HXMT view
• An Insight-HXMT view of the mHz quasi-regular modulation phenomenon in the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630-47
• Timing analysis of the black-hole candidate Swift J1727.8-1613: detection of a dip-like feature in the high-energy cross spectrum
• The spectral-timing analysis of Cygnus X-1 with Insight-HXMT
• Polarization in early optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts driven by precessing jets
• The 2018 outburst of MAXI J1820+070 as seen by Insight-HXMT
• Multiwavelength Observations of the Black Hole X-ray Binary MAXI J1820$+$070 in the Rebrightening Phase
• Evidence for a dynamic corona in the short-term time lags of black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070
• Detection of disk-jet co-precession in a tidal disruption event
• Intermittent QPO properties of MAXI J1820+070 revealed by Insight-HXMT
• Insight-HXMT Detections of Hard X-ray Tails in Scorpius X-1
• Reflection Spectra of Accretion Disks Illuminated by an Off-Axis Corona
• Spectro-temporal Investigation of Quasi-periodic Oscillations From Black Hole X-ray Binary 4U 1630-472 Using $\text{NICER}$
• Variable QPO lags and reduced coherence between the disc and corona in MAXI J1820+070
• The Accretion-Ejection Connection in the Black Hole X-ray Binary MAXI J1820$+$070
• Detection of a Type-C QPO during the soft-to-hard transition in Swift J1727.8-1613
• Modeling fast X-ray variability around an accreting black hole
• Likely detection of magnetic field related LFQPO in the soft X-ray re-brightening of GRS~1915+105
• Black holes: accretion processes in X-ray binaries
• Monte Carlo simulation of the Compton scattering and disk reflection of a cylinder with hot electrons moving away from a black hole
• The mHz quasi-regular modulations of 4U 1630--47 during its 1998 outburst
• Characteristics of the High-frequency Humps in the Black hole X-ray Binary Swift J1727.8--1613
• Optical and X-ray timing analysis of the 2018-2020 outburst and rebrightening of the black-hole transient MAXI J1820+070
• NICER Spectral and Timing Analysis of 4U 1630$-$47 and its Heartbeat State
• Ultraviolet spectroscopy of the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070 across a state transition
• Search for the Highest-energy Quasiperiodic Oscillation in the Black Hole X-Ray Binary Candidate Swift J1727.8-1613
• Accretion Geometry of Black Hole X-ray Binaries: Insights from X-ray Observations
• The full evolution of the type-C QPO in MAXI J1348-630 revealed by Insight-HXMT
• Broadband variability study of MAXI J1631-479 in its Hard-Intermediate State observed with Insight-HXMT
• The no-hair theorems at work in the tidal disruption event AT2020afhd
• An Insight-HXMT View of the Evolution of the Type-C Quasiperiodic Oscillation during the Flaring State of Swift J1727.8-1613