OPTICAL EMISSION OF THE BLACK HOLE X-RAY TRANSIENT MAXI J1659-152 DURING QUIESCENCE

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/760/2/L27· OSTI ID:22078408

Kong, Albert K. H., ^[1]

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1. Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China)

We report on the optical detection of the black hole X-ray transient MAXI J1659-152 during its quiescent state. By using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we observed MAXI J1659-152 about seven months after the end of an X-ray outburst. The optical counterpart of MAXI J1659-152 is clearly detected with an r'-band magnitude of 23.6-23.8. The detection confirms that the optical emission of MAXI J1659-152 during quiescence is relatively bright compared to other black hole X-ray transients. This implies that the distance to MAXI J1659-152 is 4.6-7.5 kpc for an M2 dwarf companion star or 2.3-3.8 kpc for an M5 dwarf companion star. By comparing with other measurements, an M2 dwarf companion is more likely.

• OSTI ID: 22078408
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 760, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
BLACK HOLES
DISTANCE
DWARF STARS
PHOTON EMISSION
TELESCOPES
TRANSIENTS
VISIBLE SPECTRA
X RADIATION