Article

<i>NICER</i> observations reveal that the X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole X-ray binary

Liang ZhangPhysics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, UKD. AltamiranoPhysics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, UKV. A. CúneoDepartamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, E-38205 S/C de Tenerife, SpainKevin AlabartaKapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, NL-9700 AV Groningen, the NetherlandsTeruaki EnotoExtreme Natural Phenomena RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, JapanJ. HomanEureka Scientific, Inc., 2452 Delmer Street, Oakland, CA 94602, USARonald A. RemillardMIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, MIT, 70 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USAP. UttleyAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the NetherlandsF. VincentelliPhysics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, UKZaven ArzoumanianAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAPeter BultAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAKeith C. GendreauAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAC. B. MarkwardtAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAA. SannaDipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, SP Monserrato-Sestu km 0.7, I-09042 Monserrato, ItalyTod E. StrohmayerAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAJames F. SteinerHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USAArkadip BasakAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the NetherlandsJoey NeilsenDepartment of Physics, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USAFrancesco TombesiAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

2020en

ABI

Abstract

ABSTRACT We studied the outburst evolution and timing properties of the recently discovered X-ray transient MAXI J1348−630 as observed with NICER. We produced the fundamental diagrams commonly used to trace the spectral evolution, and power density spectra to study the fast X-ray variability. The main outburst evolution of MAXI J1348−630 is similar to that commonly observed in black hole transients. The source evolved from the hard state (HS), through hard- and soft-intermediate states, into the soft state in the outburst rise, and back to the HS in reverse during the outburst decay. At the end of the outburst, MAXI J1348−630 underwent two reflares with peak fluxes approximately one and two orders of magnitude fainter than the main outburst, respectively. During the reflares, the source remained in the HS only, without undergoing any state transitions, which is similar to the so-called ‘failed outbursts’. Different types of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are observed at different phases of the outburst. Based on our spectral-timing results, we conclude that MAXI J1348−630 is a black hole candidate.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa2842

Citations and references

Cited by 20 references

Metrics — AkademScholar