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The secondary maxima in black hole X-ray nova light curves - Clues toward a complete pictureWe study the secondary maxima observed commonly in the X-ray/optical light curves of black hole X-ray novae and show that they can play an important role in our understanding of the X-ray nova phenomenon. We discuss the observational characteristics of the secondary maxima and possible mechanisms to produce them. We propose a complete scenario for black hole X-ray nova events. The main outburst is caused by a disk instability. The second maximum is caused by X-ray evaporation of the matter near the inner Lagrangian (L1) region when the disk becomes optically thin. The third maximum (or the final minioutburst) is due to a mass transfer instability caused by hard X-ray heating of the subphotospheric layers of the secondary during the outburst. We predict that the newly discovered X-ray nova GRO J0422 + 32 may develop a final minioutburst in early 1993 and that its binary orbital period is less than 7 hr.
Document ID
19930052355
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Chen, Wan
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Universities Space Research Association, Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Livio, Mario
(Space Telescope Science Inst. Baltimore, MD; Technion - Israel Inst. of Technology, Haifa, United States)
Gehrels, Neil
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters
Volume: 408
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
93A36352
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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