E.P.J. van den Heuvel University of Amsterdam George Miley and the discovery of Micro-quasars (X-ray...
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E.P.J. van den Heuvel University of Amsterdam George Miley and the discovery of Micro-quasars (X-ray binaries with bimodal relativistic jets) Leiden, June
E.P.J. van den Heuvel University of Amsterdam George Miley and
the discovery of Micro-quasars (X-ray binaries with bimodal
relativistic jets) Leiden, June 11, 2013
Slide 2
Early in 1971 Braes and Miley started observing X-ray sources
with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), at 1415
MHz
Slide 3
1973 Cambridge Conference on the Physics and Astrophysics of
Compact Objects: Luc Braes is in the 2 nd row, 4 th from the
left
Slide 4
In 1971, the only known X-ray source that showed (variable)
radio emission was Scorpius X-1, discovered by Andrew and Purton,
1968, and further studied by Ables (1969). Observations by
Hjellming and Wade (1971,ApL 164,L1) and confirmed by Braes and
Miley (1971, A&A 14, 160) showed it to have a triple structure,
resembling a little Quasar
Slide 5
Braes & Miley 1972 IUA Symp.
Slide 6
Braes and Miley (1971,Nature 232,246, 1415 MHz) and Hjellming
and Wade, 1971, ApJ 168, L21, 2695 MHz) independently discovered a
weak radio source that had appeared in the X-ray error box of Cyg
X-1 in early April 1971. The precise WSRT position left the 9 th
magnitude star HD226868 as the sole possible optical candidate of
the RADIO Source. BUT WAS THIS THE X-RAY SOURCE?
Slide 7
Webster and Murdin (1971, Nature) identified the radio source
with the 9 th magnitude O9.7 Iab blue supergiant star HD 226868,
and discovered in Nov. 1971 this star to be a 5.6 day period
spectroscopic binary with a radial velocity amplitude of 64 km/sec
(now: 72km/s) [Nature, 7 Jan.1972]. Assuming a normal mass of 30
Msun for the supergiant, one finds (since there are no X-ray
eclipses), that the minimum mass of the unseen companion is > 6
Msun. As this is larger than the upper mass limit of 3.4 Msun of
neutron stars, the companion, if it is the X-ray source, must be a
BLACK HOLE.(In the paper they still allow also a supergiant mass
10Msun, which gives a companion>2 Msun)
Slide 8
From B.Louise Webster and Paul Murdin, Nature 235,37 (7 Jan
1972), Received 17 Nov. 1971. Orb. Period 5.6 days, velocity ampl.
64 km/s
Slide 9
The first pulsating and eclipsing binary X-ray source,
Centaurus X-3, was discovered in November 1971 by the UHURU team.
The doppler motion showed the companion to be a massive star >
16Msun, and the eclipse duration indicated that the star is a blue
supergiant, like HD 226868. This made the possibility that Cyg X-1
is a black hole in a similar binary system, suddenly very
likely.
Slide 10
Slide 11
The appearance of the radio source of Cyg X-1 just after the
X-ray transition
Slide 12
The discovery of this coincidence, made by the UHURU team in
the spring of 1972, showed that the radio and the X-ray source are
the same object, and that Cyg X-1 indeed is a High-Mass X-ray
binary, and that it most likely contains a black hole
Slide 13
Nature The second great discovery of Braes and Miley: the
strong and highly variable radio source Cygnus X-3. As its radio
spectral evolution after a large radio outburst exactly follows a
van der Laan-modelfor an expanding bubble of relativistic electrons
with magnetic fields, this is the first Micro-Quasar ( 22 years
before this name was invented) Nature 237, 506, 30 June 1972
Slide 14
Cyg X-3 is a 4.8- hour period X-ray binary, and is a 4.8 hour
period IR source, at a distance of 10 Kpc. In 1993 van Kerkwijk et
al. (Nature) found it to have a Wolf-Rayet (He *) companion. It has
radio jets. It is at times the brightest radio source in the
sky.
Slide 15
March 27 April 03 April 09 April 16 April 23 April 27 Radio
outburst of the black-hole X-ray binary GRS1915+105 in 1994: Blobs
moving on the sky with apparently super-luminal velocities 1,2c to
1,7c (VLA). This is a well-known relativisitic projection effect,
seen in quasar jets. This led to the name Micro-quasar (Mirabel and
Rodriguez, 1994, Nature 371,46)
Slide 16
Microquasar GRS 1915+105: Black hole >10 solar masses with
an ~2 solar mass K-giant companion in 33,5 day orbit
Slide 17
The black-hole X-ray binary GRS 1915+105: radio blobs moving
out with relativistic velocities (VLA) The blobs move on the sky
with apparently superluminal velocities (1,2c to 1,7c), this is a
well-known relativistic projectioneffect seen also in quasar-jets.
This led to the name Micro-quasar (Mirabel and Rodriguez
1994,Nature 371,46)
Slide 18
SS433 Vermeulen,Schilizzi Multi-wavelength campaign on the
May/June 1987 outburst WSRT, with NHO and Calar Alto (Spain),
Russian 6m Telescope, Bologna, NRAO, Sydney Univ., NRL, etc.
(Vermeulen et al.A&A 270,177,1993) SS 433 The Mother of all
Micro-quasars A ~10 Msun Black hole with ~15 Msun donor, in 13d
orbit (Fabrika &Cherepaschuk 2013) Discovered by Bruce Margon
(1978)
Slide 19
Westerhout 50, thebeam bag produced by the precessing beams of
SS433
Slide 20
Optical behaviour of SS 433 during the May/June 1987 campaign,
Aslanov, Cherepaschuck, Goranskij, Rakhimov and Vermeulen, AA 270,
200, 1993 [13-day binary]
Slide 21
Gallo, Fender, Kaiser, Russell, Morganti, Oosterloo and Heintz,
2005, Nature 436, 819: WSRT observations at 1.4 GHz: Discovery of
the Jet-powered nebula of Cygnus X-1: Cygnus X-1 is a
Micro-Quasar!
Slide 22
Gallo, Fender, Kaiser, Russell, Morganti, Oosterloo and Heintz
2005,Nature: WSRT Radio jet and jet-powered nebula of Cyg X-1 (1.4
GHz) [on Cover of Nature]: Cyg X-1 is a Micro- Quasar!!
Slide 23
H-alpha picture of the jet-powered nebula of Cyg X-1 taken with
the Isaac Newton Telsc. (Gallo et al.,2005)
Slide 24
The jet-powered optical nebula of Cygnus X-1 (Russell, Fender,
Gallo and Kaiser, 2008, MNRAS)
Slide 25
From Mirabel and Rodriguez 1999, Ann.Rev. A&A: Several
sources to be added: e.g. Cyg X-1 (black Hole) and Sco X-1
(NS)
Slide 26
Conclusions Braes and Miley in 1971-1972 did breakthrough work
with the new WSRT on the discovery of the radio emission of
accreting neutron stars and black holes in X-ray binaries: -
Discovery of the triple micro-quasar structure of Sco X-1 (1971)
-Discovery of the sudden radio appearance of Cyg X-1 in 1971,
allowing its definitive identification with the first ever
established black hole in an X-ray binary: HD226868 (1972), (In
2005 found with WSRT to be a micro-quasar). -Discovery of the
second Micro-Quasar Cygnus X-3 (1972) George: Many Thanks!