NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4: WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS

M. L. Parker; J. A. Tomsick; J. A. Kennea; J. M. Miller; F. A. Harrison; D. Barret; S. E. Boggs; F. E. Christensen; W. W. Craig; A. C. Fabian; F. Fürst; V. Grinberg; C. J. Hailey; P. Romano; D. Stern; D. J. Walton; W. W. Zhang

doi:10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4: WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS

M. L. Parker, J. A. Tomsick, J. A. Kennea, J. M. Miller, F. A. Harrison, D. Barret, S. E. Boggs, F. E. Christensen, W. W. Craig, A. C. Fabian, F. Fürst, V. Grinberg, C. J. Hailey, P. Romano, D. Stern, D. J. Walton, W. W. Zhang

Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Abstract

We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95_-0.08^+0.02 and inclination of 30° ± 1° (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0_-1.2^+1.6 M_⊙ and distance of 8.4 ± 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).

Original language	English (US)
Article number	L6
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	821
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6
State	Published - Apr 10 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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Parker, M. L., Tomsick, J. A., Kennea, J. A., Miller, J. M., Harrison, F. A., Barret, D., Boggs, S. E., Christensen, F. E., Craig, W. W., Fabian, A. C., Fürst, F., Grinberg, V., Hailey, C. J., Romano, P., Stern, D., Walton, D. J., & Zhang, W. W. (2016). NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4: WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 821(1), Article L6. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

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title = "NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4: WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS",

abstract = "We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95-0.08+0.02 and inclination of 30° ± 1° (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0-1.2+1.6 M⊙ and distance of 8.4 ± 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).",

author = "Parker, {M. L.} and Tomsick, {J. A.} and Kennea, {J. A.} and Miller, {J. M.} and Harrison, {F. A.} and D. Barret and Boggs, {S. E.} and Christensen, {F. E.} and Craig, {W. W.} and Fabian, {A. C.} and F. F{\"u}rst and V. Grinberg and Hailey, {C. J.} and P. Romano and D. Stern and Walton, {D. J.} and Zhang, {W. W.}",

year = "2016",

month = apr,

day = "10",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "821",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

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Parker, ML, Tomsick, JA, Kennea, JA, Miller, JM, Harrison, FA, Barret, D, Boggs, SE, Christensen, FE, Craig, WW, Fabian, AC, Fürst, F, Grinberg, V, Hailey, CJ, Romano, P, Stern, D, Walton, DJ & Zhang, WW 2016, 'NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4: WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 821, no. 1, L6. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/821/1/L6

TY - JOUR

T1 - NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4

T2 - WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS

AU - Parker, M. L.

AU - Tomsick, J. A.

AU - Kennea, J. A.

AU - Miller, J. M.

AU - Harrison, F. A.

AU - Barret, D.

AU - Boggs, S. E.

AU - Christensen, F. E.

AU - Craig, W. W.

AU - Fabian, A. C.

AU - Fürst, F.

AU - Grinberg, V.

AU - Hailey, C. J.

AU - Romano, P.

AU - Stern, D.

AU - Walton, D. J.

AU - Zhang, W. W.

PY - 2016/4/10

Y1 - 2016/4/10

N2 - We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95-0.08+0.02 and inclination of 30° ± 1° (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0-1.2+1.6 M⊙ and distance of 8.4 ± 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).

AB - We present results from spectral fitting of the very high state of GX 339-4 with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Swift. We use relativistic reflection modeling to measure the spin of the black hole and inclination of the inner disk and find a spin of a = 0.95-0.08+0.02 and inclination of 30° ± 1° (statistical errors). These values agree well with previous results from reflection modeling. With the exceptional sensitivity of NuSTAR at the high-energy side of the disk spectrum, we are able to constrain multiple physical parameters simultaneously using continuum fitting. By using the constraints from reflection as input for the continuum fitting method, we invert the conventional fitting procedure to estimate the mass and distance of GX 339-4 using just the X-ray spectrum, finding a mass of 9.0-1.2+1.6 M⊙ and distance of 8.4 ± 0.9 kpc (statistical errors).

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JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

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ER -

NuSTAR AND SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF THE VERY HIGH STATE IN GX 339-4: WEIGHING THE BLACK HOLE WITH X-RAYS

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