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Title: Gone with the Wind: JWST-MIRI Unveils a Strong Outflow from the Quiescent Stellar-mass Black Hole A0620-00
Abstract We present new observations of the black hole X-ray binary A0620-00 using the Mid-Infrared (MIR) Instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope, during a state where the X-ray luminosity is 9 orders of magnitude below Eddington, and coordinated with radio, near-infrared, and optical observations. The goal is to understand the nature of the excess MIR emission originally detected by Spitzer redward of 8μm. The stellar-subtracted MIR spectrum is well modeled by a power law with a spectral index ofα = 0.72 ± 0.01, where the flux density scales with frequency asFν ∝ να. The spectral characteristics, along with rapid variability—a 40% flux flare at 15μm and 25% achromatic variability in the 5–12μm range—rule out a circumbinary disk as the source of the MIR excess. The Low Resolution Spectrometer reveals a prominent emission feature at 7.5μm, resulting from the blend of three hydrogen recombination lines. While the contribution from partially self-absorbed synchrotron radiation cannot be ruled out, we argue that thermal bremsstrahlung from a warm (a few tens of thousands of Kelvin) wind accounts for the MIR excess; the same outflow is responsible for the emission lines. The inferred mass outflow rate indicates that the system’s low luminosity is due to a substantial fraction of the mass supplied by the donor star being expelled through a wind rather than accreted onto the black hole.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2401752
PAR ID:
10682414
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
The Astrophysical Journal
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
991
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
157
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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