Bibcode
González-Hernández, J. I.; Rebolo, R.; Casares, J.
Bibliographical reference
Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VII, Proceedings of the X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA), held in Valencia, July 9 - 13, 2012, Eds.: J.C. Guirado, L.M. Lara, V. Quilis, and J. Gorgas., pp.561-565
Advertised on:
5
2013
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
Using spectroscopic data taken with OSIRIS spectrograph at the 10.4m-GTC
telescope, we discover that the orbital period of the secondary star of
the black hole binary XTE J1118+480, with an orbital period of
P_{orb}˜ 4.1 hr, is rapidly decreasing. We have derived an orbital
period time derivative of dot P=-1.83±0.66 ms yr^{-1} in this
system. Conventional models including magnetic braking and mass loss can
marginally explained these observations, but require high magnetic
fields in the secondary star and significant mass loss from the system.
This result has relevant implications on the strength of magnetic
braking in these binary systems and also put tight constraints on the
evaporation of black holes in the context of Braneworld gravity theory.