Swift J1727.8-1613 has the Largest Resolved Continuous Jet Ever Seen in an X-ray Binary

Abstract

Multi-wavelength polarimetry and radio observations of Swift J1727.8-1613 at the beginning of its recent 2023 outburst suggested the presence of a bright compact jet aligned in the north-south direction, which could not be confirmed without high angular resolution images. Using the Very Long Baseline Array and the Long Baseline Array, we imaged Swift J1727.8-1613, during the hard/hard-intermediate state, revealing a bright core and a large, two-sided, asymmetrical, resolved jet. The jet extends in the north-south direction, at a position angle of $-0.60\pm 0.07°$ East of North. At 8.4 GHz, the entire resolved jet structure is $\sim 110(d/2.7\text{kpc})/\sin i$ AU long, with the southern approaching jet extending $\sim 80(d/2.7\text{kpc})/\sin i$ AU from the core, where $d$ is the distance to the source and $i$ is the inclination of the jet axis to the line of sight. These images reveal the most resolved continuous X-ray binary jet, and possibly the most physically extended continuous X-ray binary jet ever observed. Based on the brightness ratio of the approaching and receding jets, we put a lower limit on the intrinsic jet speed of $\beta \ge 0.27$ and an upper limit on the jet inclination of $i\le 74°$. In our first observation we also detected a rapidly fading discrete jet knot $66.89\pm 0.04$ mas south of the core, with a proper motion of $0.66\pm 0.05$ mas hour${}^{-1}$, which we interpret as the result of a downstream internal shock or a jet-ISM interaction, as opposed to a transient relativistic jet launched at the beginning of the outburst.

arXiv commentAccepted in ApJL

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• Dynamical confirmation of a black hole in the X-ray transient Swift J1727.8-1613
• X-ray polarization from accretion disk winds
• Timing analysis of the black-hole candidate Swift J1727.8-1613: detection of a dip-like feature in the high-energy cross spectrum
• Comprehensive Radio Monitoring of the Black Hole X-ray Binary Swift J1727.8$-$1613 during its 2023$-$2024 Outburst
• Evolution of the Comptonizing medium of the black-hole candidate Swift J1727.8$-$1613 along the hard to hard-intermediate state transition using NICER
• Detection of QPO Soft Lag during Outburst of Swift J1727.8-1613: Estimation of Instrinsic Parameters from Spectral Study
• The Accretion-Ejection Connection in the Black Hole X-ray Binary MAXI J1820$+$070
• Black-hole X-ray binary Swift J1727.8$-$1613 shows simultaneous Type-B and Type-C quasi-periodic oscillations across the hard-intermediate and soft-intermediate states
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• Characteristics of the High-frequency Humps in the Black hole X-ray Binary Swift J1727.8--1613
• Optical polarimetry of the accreting black hole X-ray binary Swift J1727.8$-$1613 over the state transition and radio ejections