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Disentangling disc variability in the hard state

Disentangling disc variability in the hard state. Phil Uttley T. Wilkinson, P. Cassatella (Southampton) J. Wilms, M. Hanke, M. Böck (FAU) K. Pottschmidt (NASA-GSFC). Introduction.

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Disentangling disc variability in the hard state

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  1. Disentangling disc variability in the hard state Phil Uttley T. Wilkinson, P. Cassatella (Southampton) J. Wilms, M. Hanke, M. Böck (FAU) K. Pottschmidt (NASA-GSFC)

  2. Introduction • BHXRB hard state spectra show clear evidence for both disc and hot coronal components, as well as interaction between them (reflection). • Hard states also show strong X-ray variability: an ideal laboratory to study the disc-corona interaction. • What drives the variability – disc instabilities, or an intrinsically unstable/flaring corona? • What role does X-ray reverberation play in driving variability? We need the high throughput and fast timing capability of the XMM-Newton EPIC-pn to extend spectral-timing measurements down to soft X-rays

  3. Intrinsic disc variability? GX 339-4 2009 hard state 0.5-10 keV (XMM-Newton EPIC-pn) PSD Light curve Strong X-ray variability on a broad range of time-scales could have a natural origin in the accretion disc (e.g. Lightman & Eardley 1974, Shakura & Sunyaev !976, Lyubarskii 1996, King et al. 2002, Reynolds & Miller 2009)

  4. BH NS (Atoll) ms pulsar Characteristic time-scales in the disc? GX 339-4 2004 GX 339-4 2009 (Wijnands & van der Klis 1999) • Characteristic frequencies (QPOs, ‘breaks’, broad Lorentzians) evolve together. • Frequency increases linked to spectral softening, stronger reflection components (e.g. Gilfanov et al. 1999). • Changing inner disc radius? (see also Emrah Kalemcı’s talk!)

  5. Cyg X-1 The ‘quiet disc’ problem • However: • The most variable spectral states have power-law-dominated SEDs • Soft disc-dominated states show very weak variability • Cyg X-1 soft state shows that variable component has power-law spectral shape (Churazov et al. 2001) ‘mean’ (time-averaged) spectrum rms (time-varying) spectrum Is the disc intrinsically stable – variability generated in the corona?

  6. Disc X-ray reverberation • X-ray heating of the disc (thermal reprocessing) is the counterpart to reflection. • Can produce significant fraction of total luminosity, emitted at temperature of reflection site: can place strong constraints on reflection geometry. • Expect strong, variable contribution in hard states. ~1% of incident flux ~70% of incident flux ~30% of incident flux

  7. GX 339-4 hard state rms spectra (Wilkinson & Uttley, 2009) • Use XMM-Newton 2004 long-look (Miller et al. 2006, Done & Díaz Trigo 2009) • Measure rms variability amplitude in count/s units as function of energy to make an rms spectrum • We use new ‘covariance’ technique: measures rms of component correlated with a broad bandpass (e.g. 2-10 keV) – better S/N more suited to picking up correlated disc/power-aw variations. rms spectra:short time-scale variations (0.1-4s) long time-scale (2.7-270s)

  8. Fourier-resolved spectra Ratio to Γ=1.65 absorbed power-law (NH=6×1021 cm-2) 0.5-1 keV 3-10 keV The amplitude of variable disc emission is strongly frequency-dependent

  9. Intrinsic disc variability or disc heating with variable geometry? • Increase in variable disc component could be due to extra variability in reprocessor geometry (coronal scale-height or disc inner radius) • However reflection features do not show corresponding increase in strength (so bb variability could be intrinsic to disc?) BUT this argument assumes reflection and disc soft X-ray emission are from the same region – may not be true

  10. Interband time lags in the hard state (> 3 keV) Nowak et al. 1999 Kotov et al. 2001 • Variations at harder energies lag those at softer energies • ~log-linear energy dependence (but lags probably not due to Comptonisation,e.g. Nowak et al. 1999)

  11. Extending lag measurements to soft X-rays Lags for individual energy bands are measured from phase of cross-spectrum averaged over 0.05-0.5 Hz frequency range, with respect to the full 0.5-10 keV band. =0.07 s or ~1400 RG/c

  12. Fourier-resolved lag-energy spectra The lag behaviour is also strongly frequency-dependent, with a sign-reversal corresponding to drop in variable disc emission

  13. Interpretation At low frequencies, variations in mdot are produced at larger radius in disc, modulating disc emission before propagating in to the corona on the disc viscous time-scale At high frequencies, variations in mdot are produced at small radius in disc or in corona itself. Only a fraction of disc emission can respond, but all of corona does, and coronal heating dominates variability  disc reverberation

  14. Conclusions • The disc is responsible for hard state variability, at least up to ~1 Hz (over to you, theorists…) • Ergo, soft-hard state transition is linked to the onset of disc instabilities • We see viscous-time-scale hard lags at low frequencies, light-travel time soft lags at high frequencies (similar behaviour seen in AGN, Fabian et al. 2009 & see talk by Abdu Zoghbi) • Soft X-ray coverage+timing is a very powerful combination (pathfinder for IXO-HTRS)

  15. Fourier-resolved spectra Ratio to Γ=1.65 absorbed power-law (NH=6×1021 cm-2) 0.5-1 keV 3-10 keV

  16. Fourier-resolved lag-energy spectra

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