POLARIZATION MODULATION FROM LENSE-THIRRING PRECESSION IN X-RAY BINARIES

被引:30
作者
Ingram, Adam [1 ]
Maccarone, Thomas J. [2 ]
Poutanen, Juri [3 ]
Krawczynski, Henric [4 ,5 ]
机构
[1] Univ Amsterdam, Anton Pannekoek Inst, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands
[2] Texas Tech Univ, Dept Phys, Lubbock, TX 79409 USA
[3] Univ Turku, Dept Phys & Astron, Tuorla Observ, FI-21500 Piikkio, Finland
[4] Washington Univ, Dept Phys, St Louis, MO 63130 USA
[5] Washington Univ, McDonnell Ctr Space Sci, St Louis, MO 63130 USA
基金
芬兰科学院;
关键词
accretion; accretion disks; black hole physics; polarization; X-rays: binaries; QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS; ACCRETING BLACK-HOLES; SPECTRAL STATES; DOMINATED ACCRETION; REPROCESSING MODEL; XTE J1550-564; LIGHT CURVES; CYGNUS X-1; VARIABILITY; MASS;
D O I
10.1088/0004-637X/807/1/53
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
It has long been recognized that quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the X-ray light curves of accreting black hole. and neutron star binaries have the potential to be powerful diagnostics of strong field gravity. However, this potential cannot be fulfilled without a working theoretical model, which has remained elusive. Perhaps, the most promising model associates the QPO with Lense-Thirring precession of the inner accretion flow, with the changes in viewing angle and Doppler boosting modulating the flux over the course of a precession cycle. Here, we consider the polarization signature of a precessing inner accretion flow. We use simple assumptions about the Comptonization process generating the emitted spectrum and take all relativistic effects into account, parallel transporting polarization vectors toward the observer along null geodesics in the Kerr metric. We find that both the degree of linear polarization and the polarization angle should be modulated on the QPO frequency. We calculate the predicted absolute rms variability amplitude of the polarization degree and angle for a specific model geometry. We find that it should be possible to detect these modulations for a reasonable fraction of parameter space with a future X-ray polarimeter such as NASA's Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array (the satellite incarnation of the balloon experiment X-Calibur).
引用
收藏
页数:16
相关论文
共 90 条
  • [1] LOW-FREQUENCY QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATION FROM THE 11 Hz ACCRETING PULSAR IN TERZAN 5: NOT FRAME DRAGGING
    Altamirano, D.
    Ingram, A.
    van der Klis, M.
    Wijnands, R.
    Linares, M.
    Homan, J.
    [J]. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS, 2012, 759 (01)
  • [2] [Anonymous], P SPIE INT SOC OPT E
  • [3] [Anonymous], P SPIE
  • [4] Fast variability as a probe of the smallest regions around accreting black holes
    Axelsson, Magnus
    Hjalmarsdotter, Linnea
    Done, Chris
    [J]. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2013, 431 (02) : 1987 - 1994
  • [5] Belloni TM, 2010, LECT NOTES PHYS, V794, P53, DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-76937-8_3
  • [6] Variability of X-ray binaries from an oscillating hot corona
    Cabanac, C.
    Henri, G.
    Petrucci, P. -O.
    Malzac, J.
    Ferreira, J.
    Belloni, T. M.
    [J]. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2010, 404 (02) : 738 - 748
  • [7] GLOBAL STRUCTURE OF KERR FAMILY OF GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS
    CARTER, B
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW, 1968, 174 (05): : 1559 - +
  • [8] Chandrasekhar S., 1960, Radiative Transfer
  • [9] OBSERVATIONAL SIGNATURES OF TILTED BLACK HOLE ACCRETION DISKS FROM SIMULATIONS
    Dexter, Jason
    Fragile, P. Chris
    [J]. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2011, 730 (01)
  • [10] A FAST NEW PUBLIC CODE FOR COMPUTING PHOTON ORBITS IN A KERR SPACETIME
    Dexter, Jason
    Agol, Eric
    [J]. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2009, 696 (02) : 1616 - 1629