Quasi-periodic variability and the inner radii of thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems

Tiziana Di Matteo; Dimitrios Psaltis

doi:10.1086/312369

Quasi-periodic variability and the inner radii of thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems

Tiziana Di Matteo, Dimitrios Psaltis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

We calculate upper bounds on the inner radii of geometrically thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems by relating their rapid variability properties to those of neutron stars. We infer that the inner disk radii do not exhibit large excursions between different spectral states, in contrast with the concept that the disk retreats significantly during the soft-to-hard-state transition. We find that, in the hard state, the accretion disks extend down to radii ≲6-25 GM/c² and discuss the implications of our results for models of black hole X-ray spectra.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L101-L104
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	526
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/312369
State	Published - Dec 1 1999
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Accretion, accretion disks
Black hole physics
X-rays: stars

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/312369

Cite this

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title = "Quasi-periodic variability and the inner radii of thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems",

abstract = "We calculate upper bounds on the inner radii of geometrically thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems by relating their rapid variability properties to those of neutron stars. We infer that the inner disk radii do not exhibit large excursions between different spectral states, in contrast with the concept that the disk retreats significantly during the soft-to-hard-state transition. We find that, in the hard state, the accretion disks extend down to radii ≲6-25 GM/c2 and discuss the implications of our results for models of black hole X-ray spectra.",

keywords = "Accretion, accretion disks, Black hole physics, X-rays: stars",

author = "{Di Matteo}, Tiziana and Dimitrios Psaltis",

note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to Greg Sobczak for sharing with us his results prior to publication. We also thank Mike Nowak, J{\"o}rn Wilms, and Ramesh Narayan for helpful comments on the manuscript. T. D. M. acknowledges support for this work provided by NASA through Chandra Postdoctoral Fellowship grant PF8-10005 awarded by the Chandra Science Center, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for NASA under contract NAS8-39073. This work was supported in part by a postdoctoral fellowship of the Smithsonian Institution (D. P.).",

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doi = "10.1086/312369",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Quasi-periodic variability and the inner radii of thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems

AU - Di Matteo, Tiziana

AU - Psaltis, Dimitrios

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to Greg Sobczak for sharing with us his results prior to publication. We also thank Mike Nowak, Jörn Wilms, and Ramesh Narayan for helpful comments on the manuscript. T. D. M. acknowledges support for this work provided by NASA through Chandra Postdoctoral Fellowship grant PF8-10005 awarded by the Chandra Science Center, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for NASA under contract NAS8-39073. This work was supported in part by a postdoctoral fellowship of the Smithsonian Institution (D. P.).

PY - 1999/12/1

Y1 - 1999/12/1

N2 - We calculate upper bounds on the inner radii of geometrically thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems by relating their rapid variability properties to those of neutron stars. We infer that the inner disk radii do not exhibit large excursions between different spectral states, in contrast with the concept that the disk retreats significantly during the soft-to-hard-state transition. We find that, in the hard state, the accretion disks extend down to radii ≲6-25 GM/c2 and discuss the implications of our results for models of black hole X-ray spectra.

AB - We calculate upper bounds on the inner radii of geometrically thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems by relating their rapid variability properties to those of neutron stars. We infer that the inner disk radii do not exhibit large excursions between different spectral states, in contrast with the concept that the disk retreats significantly during the soft-to-hard-state transition. We find that, in the hard state, the accretion disks extend down to radii ≲6-25 GM/c2 and discuss the implications of our results for models of black hole X-ray spectra.

KW - Accretion, accretion disks

KW - Black hole physics

KW - X-rays: stars

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SP - L101-L104

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART 2

ER -

Quasi-periodic variability and the inner radii of thin accretion disks in galactic black hole systems

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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