Start year
1997
Organizational Unit
Organizing institutions
Grants related:
General
Description
Accreting black-holes and neutron stars in X-ray binaries provide an ideal laboratory for exploring the physics of compact objects, yielding not only confirmation of the existence of stellar mass black holes via dynamical mass measurements, but also the best opportunity for probing high-gravity environments and the physics of accretion; the most efficient form of energy production known. The latter is an essential physical process to understand the universe, playing a crucial role in galactic and extra-galactic astronomy.
This project has the following scientific goals:
- X-ray binaries offer the opportunity to study accretion as its best, since their relevant changes occur on convenient time-scales for human beings. This project focuses on the universal relation between black-hole accretion and ejection processes in the form of collimated jets and wide-angle winds. We will focus on the general properties and astrophysical impact of the cold optical accretion disc wind that our group has discovered. We want to understand how frequent these winds are, which is their impact in the black-hole accretion process, and what is their relation with jets and hot X-ray winds. Likewise, we carry out very detailed X-ray spectral studies on the different accretion states and geometries and their evolution with luminosity.
- We want to define the mass distribution of black-holes and neutron stars. Thus, we continue our contribution to one of the fundamental experiments in modern astrophysics by measuring dynamical masses in X-ray binaries. We expect to significantly improve the observed mass distribution of compact objects. This will allow testing models of supernovae explosions and close binary evolution as well as setting constraints on the equation of state of nuclear matter. We will measure masses in newly discovered or known transient X-ray binaries. In addition, we will also search for the large number of dormant X-ray binaries expected in the Galaxy and suitable for dynamical studies.
- To study the structure of accretion discs in different energy bands (optical-X rays). The high energy spectral distribution and time variability during outburst is important to constrain the eruption models and accretion disc properties (e.g. radius of advective disc) as well as to constrain the contribution of the jet to the optical and infrared emission of the system.
see group web page: https://research.iac.es/proyecto/compactos/pages/en/introduction.php
Members
Principal investigator
Montserrat
Armas Padilla
Project staff
Jorge
Casares Velázquez
Tariq
Shahbaz
Teodoro
Muñoz Darias
Manuel Ángel
Pérez Torres
Virginia Anahi
Cúneo
María Guayente
Panizo Espinar
Ignacio
González Martínez-Pais
Pablo
Rodríguez Gil
Jonay Isai
González Hernández
Collaborators
Prof.
P. Charles
Prof.
R. Fender
Prof.
P. Jonker -
Prof.
T. Marsh
Dr.
D. Steeghs
Dr.
S. Motta
Prof.
T. Belloni
Dr.
K. O'Brien
Dr.
B. Gaensicke
Prof.
J.M. Paredes
Dr.
M. Ribó
Dr.
J. Marti
Prof.
S. Campana
Dr.
P. D’Avanzo
Dr.
I. Negueruela
Dr.
J.M. Corral-Santana
Dr.
D. Russell
Prof.
Rudy Wijnands
Dr.
N. Degenaar
Dr.
A. de Ugarte
Dr.
Y. Ueda
Dr.
R.I. Hynes
María Jesús
Arevalo Morales
Josefa
Becerra González
Artemio
Herrero Davo
Garik
Israelian
Results
- Our team has led the multi-wavelength study of the two 2015 outbursts of the Black-hole transient V404 Cyg. In 2018, we published a global paper which include all the spectroscopy taken during the 1989 and 2015 campaigns.
- We have presented solid evidence for the presence of very similar wind to that found in V404 Cyg in another black hole transient, V4641 Sgr.
- We published the final paper as well as a pilot study on a novel method developed by the group. It aims at discovering and measuring masses of black hole transient in quiescence. This method has the potential of increasing the known population of these systems by a factor of three.
- We measured the mass of the neutron star in PSR J2215+5135 and found it is one of the heaviest known to date.
- We presented the first detailed study on the ultra-compact system SLX 1737-282.
Scientific activity
Related publications
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Follow-up Survey for the Binary Black Hole Merger GW200224_222234 Using Subaru/HSC and GTC/OSIRISThe LIGO/Virgo detected a gravitational wave (GW) event, named GW200224_222234 (also known as S200224ca) and classified as a binary-black hole coalescence, on 2020 February 24. Given its relatively small localization skymap (71 deg 2 for a 90% credible region; revised to 50 deg 2 in GWTC-3), we performed target-of-opportunity observations using theOhgami, Takayuki et al.
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42023 -
A shared accretion instability for black holes and neutron starsAccretion disks around compact objects are expected to enter an unstable phase at high luminosity 1. One instability may occur when the radiation pressure generated by accretion modifies the disk viscosity, resulting in the cyclic depletion and refilling of the inner disk on short timescales 2. Such a scenario, however, has only been quantitativelyVincentelli, F. M. et al.
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32023 -
Precision Ephemerides for Gravitational-wave Searches - IV. Corrected and refined ephemeris for Scorpius X-1Low-mass X-ray binaries have long been theorized as potential sources of continuous gravitational-wave radiation, yet there is no observational evidence from recent LIGO/Virgo observing runs. Even for the theoretically 'loudest' source, Sco X-1, the upper limit on gravitational-wave strain has been pushed ever lower. Such searches require preciseKillestein, T. L. et al.
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42023 -
A black widow population dissection through HiPERCAM multiband light-curve modellingBlack widows are extreme millisecond pulsar binaries where the pulsar wind ablates their low-mass companion stars. In the optical range, their light curves vary periodically due to the high irradiation and tidal distortion of the companion, which allows us to infer the binary parameters. We present simultaneous multiband observations obtained withMata Sánchez, D. et al.
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42023 -
Systematic uncertainties in the characterization of helium-dominated metal-polluted white dwarf atmospheresWhite dwarf photospheric parameters are usually obtained by means of spectroscopic or photometric analysis. These results are not always consistent with each other, with the published values often including just the statistical uncertainties. The differences are more dramatic for white dwarfs with helium-dominated photospheres, so to obtainIzquierdo, Paula et al.
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42023 -
A rapid optical and X-ray timing study of the neutron star X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814We present a rapid timing analysis of optical (HiPERCAM and ULTRACAM) and X-ray (NICER) observations of the X-ray transient Swift J1858.6-0814 during 2018 and 2019. The optical light curves show relatively slow, large amplitude (~1 mag in g s) 'blue' flares (i.e. stronger at shorter wavelengths) on time-scales of ~minutes as well as fast, smallShahbaz, T. et al.
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32023 -
The TRAPUM L-band survey for pulsars in Fermi-LAT gamma-ray sourcesMore than 100 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) have been discovered in radio observations of gamma-ray sources detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), but hundreds of pulsar-like sources remain unidentified. Here, we present the first results from the targeted survey of Fermi-LAT sources being performed by the Transients and Pulsars withClark, C. J. et al.
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32023 -
Deep X-Ray and Radio Observations of the First Outburst of the Young Magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607Swift J1818.0-1607 is a radio-loud magnetar with a spin period of 1.36 s and a dipolar magnetic field strength of B ~ 3 × 10 14 G, which is very young compared to the Galactic pulsar population. We report here on the long-term X-ray monitoring campaign of this young magnetar using XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and Swift from the activation of its firstIbrahim, A. Y. et al.
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12023 -
First detection of the outer edge of an AGN accretion disc: very fast multiband optical variability of NGC 4395 with GTC/HiPERCAM and LT/IO:OWe present fast (~200 s sampling) $\it ugriz$ photometry of the low -mass AGN NGC 4395 with the Liverpool Telescope, followed by very fast (3 s sampling) u s, g s, r s, i s, and z s simultaneous monitoring with HiPERCAM on the 10.4m GTC. These observations provide the fastest ever AGN multiband photometry and very precise lag measurements. UnlikeMcHardy, I. M. et al.
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32023 -
Two decades of optical timing of the shortest-period binary star system HM CancriThe shortest-period binary star system known to date, RX J0806.3+1527 (HM Cancri), has now been observed in the optical for more than two decades. Although it is thought to be a double degenerate binary undergoing mass transfer, an early surprise was that its orbital frequency, f 0, is currently increasing as the result of gravitational waveMunday, James et al.
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22023 -
Self-supervised clustering on image-subtracted data with deep-embedded self-organizing mapDeveloping an effective automatic classifier to separate genuine sources from artifacts is essential for transient follow-ups in wide-field optical surveys. The identification of transient detections from the subtraction artifacts after the image differencing process is a key step in such classifiers, known as real-bogus classification problem. WeMong, Y. -L. et al.
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12023 -
A dense 0.1-solar-mass star in a 51-minute-orbital-period eclipsing binaryOf more than a thousand known cataclysmic variables (CVs), where a white dwarf is accreting from a hydrogen-rich star, only a dozen have orbital periods below 75 minutes 1-9. One way to achieve these short periods requires the donor star to have undergone substantial nuclear evolution before interacting with the white dwarf 10-14, and it isBurdge, Kevin B. et al.
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102022 -
Black hole mass and spin measurements through the relativistic precession model: XTE J1859+226The X-ray light curves of accreting black holes and neutron stars in binary systems show various types of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), the origin of which is still debated. The relativistic precession model identifies the QPO frequencies with fundamental time-scales from General Relativity, and has been proposed as a possible explanation ofMotta, S. E. et al.
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112022 -
A refined dynamical mass for the black hole in the X-ray transient XTE J1859+226We present two contiguous nights of simultaneous time-resolved Gran Telescopio Canarias spectroscopy and William Herschel Telescope photometry of the black hole X-ray transient XTE J1859+226, obtained in 2017 July during quiescence. Cross-correlation of the individual spectra against a late K-type spectral template enabled us to constrain theYanes-Rizo, I. V. et al.
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112022 -
Long-term photometric monitoring and spectroscopy of the white dwarf pulsar AR ScorpiiAR Scorpii (AR Sco) is the only radio-pulsing white dwarf known to date. It shows a broad-band spectrum extending from radio to X-rays whose luminosity cannot be explained by thermal emission from the system components alone, and is instead explained through synchrotron emission powered by the spin-down of the white dwarf. We analysed NTT/ULTRACAMPelisoli, Ingrid et al.
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112022 -
Multicolour optical light curves of the companion star to the millisecond pulsar PSR J2051-0827We present simultaneous, multicolour optical light curves of the companion star to the black-widow pulsar PSR J2051-0827, obtained approximately 10 yr apart using ULTRACAM and HiPERCAM, respectively. The ULTRACAM light curves confirm the previously reported asymmetry in which the leading hemisphere of the companion star appears to be brighter thanDhillon, V. S. et al.
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102022 -
A correlation between H α trough depth and inclination in quiescent X-ray transients: evidence for a low-mass black hole in GRO J0422+32We present a new method to derive binary inclinations in quiescent black hole (BH) X-ray transients (XRTs), based on the depth of the trough (T) from double-peaked H α emission profiles arising in accretion discs. We find that the inclination angle (i) is linearly correlated with T in phase-averaged spectra with sufficient orbital coverage (≳50 perCasares, J. et al.
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102022 -
Simultaneous X-ray and optical spectroscopy of V404 Cygni supports the multi-phase nature of X-ray binary accretion disc windsObservational signatures of accretion disc winds have been found in a significant number of low-mass X-ray binaries at either X-ray or optical wavelengths. The 2015 outburst of the black hole transient V404 Cygni provided a unique opportunity for studying both types of outflows in the same system. We used contemporaneous X-ray (Chandra Observatory)Muñoz-Darias, Teo et al.
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82022 -
Discovery of optical and infrared accretion disc wind signatures in the black hole candidate MAXI J1348-630MAXI J1348-630 is a low mass X-ray binary discovered in 2019 during a bright outburst. During this event, the system experienced both hard and soft states following the standard evolution. We present multi-epoch optical and near-infrared spectroscopy obtained with X-shooter at the Very Large Telescope. Our dataset includes spectra taken during thePanizo-Espinar, G. et al.
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82022 -
A Multiwavelength Study of GRS 1716-249 in Outburst: Constraints on Its System ParametersWe present a detailed study of the evolution of the Galactic black hole transient GRS 1716-249 during its 2016-2017 outburst at optical (Las Cumbres Observatory), mid-infrared (Very Large Telescope), near-infrared (Rapid Eye Mount telescope), and ultraviolet (the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope) wavelengths, along withSaikia, Payaswini et al.
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62022
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