THE X-RAY PROPERTIES OF THE BLACK HOLE TRANSIENT MAXI J1659-152 IN QUIESCENCE
- Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 70 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)
- Astronomical Institute ''Anton Pannekoek'', University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, 3584 CA Utrecht (Netherlands)
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)
- Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)
- European Space Astronomy Centre (ESA/ESAC), Science Operations Department, E-28691 Villanueva de la Canada (Madrid) (Spain)
- Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Faculty of Science, Torre C5-parell, E-08193 Barcelona (Spain)
We present new Chandra X-ray observations of the transient black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1659-152 in quiescence. These observations were made more than one year after the end of the source's 2010-2011 outburst. We detect the source at a 0.5-10 keV flux of 2.8(8) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -15} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2}, which corresponds to a luminosity of {approx}1.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 31} (d/6 kpc){sup 2} erg s{sup -1}. This level, while being the lowest at which the source has been detected, is within factors of {approx}2 of the levels seen at the end of the initial decay of the outburst and soon after a major reflare of the source. The quiescent luminosity of MAXI J1659-152, which is the shortest-orbital-period black hole X-ray binary ({approx}2.4 hr), is lower than that of neutron-star X-ray binaries with similar periods. However, it is higher than the quiescent luminosities found for black hole X-ray binaries with orbital periods {approx}2-4 times longer. This could imply that a minimum quiescent luminosity may exist for black hole X-ray binaries, around orbital periods of {approx}5-10 hr, as predicted by binary-evolution models for the mass transfer rate. Compared to the hard state, we see a clear softening of the power-law spectrum in quiescence, from an index of 1.55(4) to an index of 2.5(4). We constrain the luminosity range in which this softening starts to (0.18-6.2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} (d/6 kpc){sup 2} (M/8 M{sub Sun }) L{sub Edd}, which is consistent with the ranges inferred for other sources.
- OSTI ID:
- 22133845
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 775, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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