On the Theory of Gamma Ray Bursts and Hypernovae: The Black Hole Soft X-ray Transient Sources

Abstract

We show that a common evolutionary history can produce the black hole binaries in the Galaxy in which the black holes have masses of ~ 5-10 M_sun. In with low-mass, <~ 2.5 M_sun, ZAMS (zero age main sequence) companions, the latter remain in main sequence during the active stage of soft X-ray transients (SXTs), most of them being of K or M classification. In two intermediate cases, IL Lupi and Nova Scorpii with ZAMS ~ 2.5 M_sun companions the orbits are greatly widened because of large mass loss in the explosion forming the black hole, and whereas these companions are in late main sequence evolution, they are close to evolving. Binaries with companion ZAMS masses >~ 3 M_sun are initially "silent" until the companion begins evolving across the Herzsprung gap. We provide evidence that the narrower, shorter period binaries, with companions now in main sequence, are fossil remnants of gamma ray bursters (GRBs). We also show that the GRB is generally accompanied by a hypernova explosion (a very energetic supernova explosion). We further show that the binaries with evolved companions are good models for some of the ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) recently seen by Chandra in other galaxies. The great regularity in our evolutionary history, especially the fact that most of the companions of ZAMS mass <~ 2.5 M_sun remain in main sequences as K or M stars can be explained by the mass loss in common envelope evolution to be Case C; i.g., to occur only after core He burning has finished. Since our argument for Case C mass transfer is not generally understood in the community, we add an appendix, showing that with certain assumptions which we outline we can reproduce the regularities in the evolution of black hole binaries by Case C mass transfer.

59 pages, 12 figures, review article

References in corpus (20)

• Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources in External Galaxies
• Super-Eddington Fluxes from Thin Accretion Disks?
• The Milky Way in X-rays for an outside observer: Log(N)-Log(S) and Luminosity Function of X-ray binaries from RXTE/ASM data
• An unusually massive stellar black hole in the Galaxy
• Dynamical Evidence for a Black Hole in the Microquasar XTE J1550-564
• A Black Hole in the Superluminal source SAX J1819.3-2525 (V4641 Sgr)
• The quiescent light curve and evolutionary state of GRO J1655-40
• On the Binding Energy Parameter of Common Envelope Evolution. Dependency on the Definition of the Stellar Core Boundary during Spiral-in
• A Black Hole of > 6 Solar Masses in the X-ray Nova XTE J1118+480
• The Halo Black-Hole X-ray Transient XTE J1118+480
• Formation of High Mass X-ray Black Hole Binaries
• A Multi-Wavelength, Multi-Epoch Study of the Soft X-Ray Transient Prototype, V616 Mon (A0620-00)
• Discovery of a Black-hole Mass - Period Correlation in Soft X-ray Transients and its Implication for Gamma-Ray Burst and Hypernova Mechanisms
• Formation of the Black Hole in Nova Scorpii
• The origin of the runaway high-mass X-ray binary HD153919/4U1700-37
• Infrared Observations of Nova Muscae 1991: Black Hole Mass Determination from Ellipsoidal Variations
• The Limiting Stellar Initial Mass for Black Hole Formation in Close Binary Systems
• The formation of black hole low-mass X-ray binaries: through case B or case C mass transfer?
• Formation and Evolution of Black Hole X-ray Transient Systems
• Calorimetry of gamma-ray bursts: echos in gravitational waves

Cited by in corpus (1)

• The Case for Case C Mass Transfer in the Galactic Evolution of Black Hole Binaries