Continuum Component Research Articles

Understanding X(3862), X(3872), and X(3930) spectrum in a Friedrichs-model-like scheme

In this talk, we review the method we proposed to use the Friedrichs-like model combined with QPC model to include the hadron interaction corrections to the spectrum predicted by the quark model, in particular the Godfrey-Isgur model. This method is then used on the first excited P-wave charmonium states, and X(3862), X(3872), and X(3930) state could be simultaneously produced with a quite good accuracy. The X(3872) state is shown to be a bound state with a large DD* continuum component. At the same time, the hc(2P) state is perdicted at about 3902 MeV with a pole width of about 54 MeV.

Hidden molecular outflow in the LIRG Zw 049.057

Context. Feedback in the form of mass outflows driven by star formation or active galactic nuclei is a key component of galaxy evolution. The luminous infrared galaxy Zw 049.057 harbours a compact obscured nucleus with a possible far-infrared signature of outflowing molecular gas. Due to the high optical depths at far-infrared wavelengths, however, the interpretation of the outflow signature is uncertain. At millimeter and radio wavelengths, the radiation is better able to penetrate the large columns of gas and dust responsible for the obscuration. Aims. We aim to investigate the molecular gas distribution and kinematics in the nucleus of Zw 049.057 in order to confirm and locate the molecular outflow, with the ultimate goal to understand how the nuclear activity affects the host galaxy. Methods. We used high angular resolution observations from the Submillimeter Array (SMA), the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to image the CO J = 2–1 and J = 6–5 emission, the 690 GHz continuum, the radio centimeter continuum, and absorptions by rotationally excited OH. Results. The CO line profiles exhibit wings extending ~ 300 km s-1 beyond the systemic velocity. At centimeter wavelengths, we find a compact (~ 40 pc) continuum component in the nucleus, with weaker emission extending several 100 pc approximately along the major and minor axes of the galaxy. In the OH absorption lines toward the compact continuum, wings extending to a similar velocity as for the CO are only seen on the blue side of the profile. The weak centimeter continuum emission along the minor axis is aligned with a highly collimated, jet-like dust feature previously seen in near-infrared images of the galaxy. Comparison of the apparent optical depths in the OH lines indicate that the excitation conditions in Zw 049.057 differ from those within other OH megamaser galaxies. Conclusions. We interpret the wings in the spectral lines as signatures of a nuclear molecular outflow. A relation between this outflow and the minor axis radio feature is possible, although further studies are required to investigate this possible association and understand the connection between the outflow and the nuclear activity. Finally, we suggest that the differing OH excitation conditions are further evidence that Zw 049.057 is in a transition phase between megamaser and kilomaser activity.

Effect of stellar flares on the upper atmospheres of HD 189733b and HD 209458b

Stellar flares are a frequent occurrence on young low-mass stars around which many detected exoplanets orbit. Flares are energetic, impulsive events, and their impact on exoplanetary atmospheres needs to be taken into account when interpreting transit observations. We have developed a model to describe the upper atmosphere of Extrasolar Giant Planets (EGPs) orbiting flaring stars. The model simulates thermal escape from the upper atmospheres of close-in EGPs. Ionisation by solar radiation and electron impact is included and photochemical and diffusive transport processes are simulated. This model is used to study the effect of stellar flares from the solar-like G star HD209458 and the young K star HD189733 on their respective planets. A hypothetical HD209458b-like planet orbiting the active M star AU Mic is also simulated. We find that the neutral upper atmosphere of EGPs is not significantly affected by typical flares. Therefore, stellar flares alone would not cause large enough changes in planetary mass loss to explain the variations in HD189733b transit depth seen in previous studies, although we show that it may be possible that an extreme stellar proton event could result in the required mass loss. Our simulations do however reveal an enhancement in electron number density in the ionosphere of these planets, the peak of which is located in the layer where stellar X-rays are absorbed. Electron densities are found to reach 2.2 to 3.5 times pre-flare levels and enhanced electron densities last from about 3 to 10 hours after the onset of the flare. The strength of the flare and the width of its spectral energy distribution affect the range of altitudes that see enhancements in ionisation. A large broadband continuum component in the XUV portion of the flaring spectrum in very young flare stars, such as AU Mic, results in a broad range of altitudes affected in planets orbiting this star.

Super-Eddington accretion on to the neutron star NGC 7793 P13: Broad-band X-ray spectroscopy and ultraluminous X-ray sources

We present a detailed, broadband X-ray spectral analysis of the ULX pulsar NGC 7793 P13, a known super-Eddington source, utilizing data from the $XMM$-$Newton$, $NuSTAR$ and $Chandra$ observatories. The broadband $XMM$-$Newton+NuSTAR$ spectrum of P13 is qualitatively similar to the rest of the ULX sample with broadband coverage, suggesting that additional ULXs in the known population may host neutron star accretors. Through time-averaged, phase-resolved and multi-epoch studies, we find that two non-pulsed thermal blackbody components with temperatures $\sim$0.5 and $\sim$1.5 keV are required to fit the data below 10 keV, in addition to a third continuum component which extends to higher energies and is associated with the pulsed emission from the accretion column. The characteristic radii of the thermal components appear to be similar, and are too large to be associated with the neutron star itself, so the need for two components likely indicates the accretion flow outside the magnetosphere is complex. We suggest a scenario in which the thick inner disc expected for super-Eddington accretion begins to form, but is terminated by the neutron star's magnetic field soon after its onset, implying a limit of $B \lesssim 6 \times 10^{12}$ G for the dipolar component of the central neutron star's magnetic field. Evidence of similar termination of the disc in other sources may offer a further means of identifying additional neutron star ULXs. Finally, we examine the spectrum exhibited by P13 during one of its unusual 'off' states. These data require both a hard powerlaw component, suggesting residual accretion onto the neutron star, and emission from a thermal plasma, which we argue is likely associated with the P13 system.

The intrinsic far-UV spectrum of the high-redshift quasar B1422+231

We present new spectroscopy of the z = 3.62 gravitationally lensed quasar B1422+117 from the Gemini North GMOS integral field spectrograph. We observe significant differential magnifications between the broad emission lines and the continuum, as well as across the velocity structure of the Lyman-α line. We take advantage of this differential microlensing to algebraically decompose the quasar spectrum into the absorbed broad emission line and absorbed continuum components. We use the latter to derive the intrinsic Ly α forest absorption spectrum. The proximity effect is clearly detected, with a proximity zone edge of 8.6–17.3 Mpc from the quasar, implying (perhaps intermittent) activity over at least 28 Myr. The Ly α line profile exhibits a blue excess that is inconsistent with a symmetric fit to the unabsorbed red side. This has important implications for the use of this fitting technique in estimating the absorbed blue Ly α wings of Gunn–Peterson trough quasars.

Revealing structure and evolution within the corona of the Seyfert galaxy I Zw 1

X-ray spectral timing analysis is presented of XMM-Newton observations of the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy I Zwicky 1 (I Zw 1) taken in 2015 January. After exploring the effect of background flaring on timing analyses, X-ray time lags between the reflection-dominated 0.3-1.0keV energy and continuum-dominated 1.0-4.0keV band are measured, indicative of reverberation off the inner accretion disc. The reverberation lag time is seen to vary as a step function in frequency; across lower frequency components of the variability, 3e-4 to 1.2e-3Hz a lag of 160s is measured, but the lag shortens to (59 +/- 4)s above 1.2e-3Hz. The lag-energy spectrum reveals differing profiles between these ranges with a change in the dip showing the earliest arriving photons. The low frequency signal indicates reverberation of X-rays emitted from a corona extended at low height over the disc while at high frequencies, variability is generated in a collimated core of the corona through which luminosity fluctuations propagate upwards. Principal component analysis of the variability supports this interpretation, showing uncorrelated variation in the spectral slope of two power law continuum components. The distinct evolution of the two components of the corona is seen as a flare passes inwards from the extended to the collimated portion. An increase in variability in the extended corona was found preceding the initial increase in X-ray flux. Variability from the extended corona was seen to die away as the flare passed into the collimated core leading to a second sharper increase in the X-ray count rate.

ASuzaku,NuSTAR,andXMM-Newtonview on variable absorption and relativistic reflection in NGC 4151

We disentangle X-ray disk reflection from complex line-of-sight absorption in the nearby Seyfert NGC 4151, using a suite of Suzaku, NuSTAR, and XMM-Newton observations. Extending upon earlier published work, we pursue a physically motivated model using the latest angle-resolved version of the lamp-post geometry reflection model relxillCp_lp together with a Comptonization continuum. We use the long-look simultaneous Suzaku/NuSTAR observation to develop a baseline model wherein we model reflected emission as a combination of lamp-post components at the heights of 1.2 and 15.0 gravitational radii. We argue for a vertically extended corona as opposed to two compact and distinct primary sources. We find two neutral absorbers (one full-covering and one partial-covering), an ionized absorber ($\log \xi = 2.8$), and a highly-ionized ultra-fast outflow, which have all been reported previously. All analyzed spectra are well described by this baseline model. The bulk of the spectral variability between 1 keV and 6 keV can be accounted for by changes in the column density of both neutral absorbers, which appear to be degenerate and inversely correlated with the variable hard continuum component flux. We track variability in absorption on both short (2 d) and long ($\sim$1 yr) timescales; the observed evolution is either consistent with changes in the absorber structure (clumpy absorber at distances ranging from the broad line region (BLR) to the inner torus or a dusty radiatively driven wind) or a geometrically stable neutral absorber that becomes increasingly ionized at a rising flux level. The soft X-rays below 1 keV are dominated by photoionized emission from extended gas that may act as a warm mirror for the nuclear radiation.

The intrinsic Baldwin effect in broad Balmer lines of six long-term monitored AGNs

We investigate the intrinsic Baldwin effect (Beff) of the broad H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ emission lines for six Type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with different broad line characteristics: two Seyfert 1 (NGC 4151 and NGC 5548), two AGNs with double-peaked broad line profiles (3C 390.3 and Arp 102B), one narrow line Seyfert 1 (Ark 564), and one high-luminosity quasar with highly red asymmetric broad line profiles (E1821+643). We found that a significant intrinsic Beff was present in all Type 1 AGNs in our sample. Moreover, we do not see strong difference in intrinsic Beff slopes in different types of AGNs which probably have different physical properties, such as inclination, broad line region geometry, or accretion rate. Additionally, we found that the intrinsic Beff was not connected with the global one, which, instead, could not be detected in the broad H$\alpha$ or H$\beta$ emission lines. In the case of NGC 4151, the detected variation of the Beff slope could be due to the change in the site of line formation in the BLR. Finally, the intrinsic Beff might be caused by the additional optical continuum component that is not part of the ionization continuum.

Disentangling the near-infrared continuum spectral components of the inner 500 pc of Mrk 573: two-dimensional maps

We present a near infrared study of the spectral components of the continuum in the inner 500$\times$500 pc$^2$ of the nearby Seyfert galaxy Mrk573 using adaptive optics near-infrared integral field spectroscopy with the instrument NIFS of the Gemini North Telescope at a spatial resolution of $\sim$50 pc. We performed spectral synthesis using the {\sc starlight} code and constructed maps for the contributions of different age components of the stellar population: young ($age\leq100$ Myr), young-intermediate ($100<age\leq700$ Myr), intermediate-old ($700$ Myr $<age\leq2$ Gyr) and old ($age>2$ Gyr) to the near-IR K-band continuum, as well as their contribution to the total stellar mass. We found that the old stellar population is dominant within the inner 250 pc, while the intermediate age components dominate the continuum at larger distances. A young stellar component contributes up to $\sim$20% within the inner $\sim$70 pc, while hot dust emission and featureless continuum components are also necessary to fit the nuclear spectrum, contributing up to 20% of the K-band flux there. The radial distribution of the different age components in the inner kiloparsec of Mrk573 is similar to those obtained by our group for the Seyfert galaxies Mrk1066, Mrk1157 and NGC1068 in previous works using a similar methodology. Young stellar populations ($\leq$100 Myr) are seen in the inner 200-300 pc for all galaxies contributing with $\ge$20% of the K-band flux, while the near-IR continuum is dominated by the contribution of intermediate-age stars ($t=$100 Myr-2 Gyr) at larger distances. Older stellar populations dominate in the inner 250 pc.

SIGNS OF EARLY-STAGE DISK GROWTH REVEALED WITH ALMA

ABSTRACT We present ALMA 1.3 mm continuum, 12CO, C18O, and SO data for the Class 0 protostars Lupus 3 MMS, IRAS 15398−3559, and IRAS 16253−2429 at resolutions of ∼100 au. By measuring a rotational profile in C18O, a 100 au Keplerian disk around a 0.3 M ⊙ protostar is observed in Lupus 3 MMS. No 100 au Keplerian disks are observed in IRAS 15398−3559 and IRAS 16253−2429. Nevertheless, embedded compact (&lt;30 au) continuum components are detected. The C18O emission in IRAS 15398−3559 shows signatures of infall with a constant angular momentum. IRAS 16253−2429 exhibits signatures of infall and rotation, but its rotational profile is unresolved. By fitting the C18O data with our kinematic models, the protostellar masses and the disk radii are inferred to be 0.01 M ⊙ and 20 au in IRAS 15398−3559, and 0.03 M ⊙ and 6 au in IRAS 16253−2429. By comparing the specific angular momentum profiles from 10,000 au to 100 au in eight Class 0 and I protostars, we find that the evolution of envelope rotation can be described with conventional inside-out collapse models. In comparison with a sample of 18 protostars with known disk radii, our results reveal signs of disk growth, with the disk radius increasing as M * 0.8 ± 0.14 or t 1.09 ± 0.37 in the Class 0 stage, where M * is the protostellar mass and t is the age. The disk growth rate slows down in the Class I stage. In addition, we find a hint that the mass accretion rate declines as t − 0.26 ± 0.04 from the Class 0 to the Class I stages.

Suzaku spectroscopy of the neutron star transient 4U 1608–52 during its outburst decay.

We test the proposed 3-component spectral model for neutron star low mass X-ray binaries using broad-band X-ray data. We have analysed 4 X-ray spectra (0.8-30 keV) obtained with Suzaku during the 2010 outburst of 4U 1608-52, which have allowed us to perform a comprehensive spectral study covering all the classical spectral states. We use a thermally Comptonized continuum component to account for the hard emission, as well as two thermal components to constrain the accretion disc and neutron star surface contributions. We find that the proposed combination of multicolor disc, single-temperature black body and Comptonization components successfully reproduces the data from soft to hard states. In the soft state, our study supports the neutron star surface (or boundary layer) as the dominant source for the Comptonization seed photons yielding the observed weak hard emission, while in the hard state both solutions, either the disc or the neutron star surface, are equally favoured. The obtained spectral parameters as well as the spectral/timing correlations are comparable to those observed in accreting black holes, which support the idea that black hole and neutron star low mass X-ray binaries undergo a similar state evolution during their accretion episodes.

SNR 1E 0102.2-7219 as an X-ray calibration standard in the 0.5−1.0 keV bandpass and its application to the CCD instruments aboardChandra,Suzaku,SwiftandXMM-Newton

We desire a simple comparison of the absolute effective areas of the current generation of CCD instruments onboard the following observatories: Chandra ACIS-S3, XMM-Newton (EPIC-MOS and EPIC-pn), Suzaku XIS, and Swift XRT and a straightforward comparison of the time-dependent response of these instruments across their respective mission lifetimes. We have been using 1E 0102.2-7219, the brightest supernova remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud, to evaluate and modify the response models of these instruments. 1E 0102.2-7219 has strong lines of O, Ne, and Mg below 1.5 keV and little or no Fe emission to complicate the spectrum. As part of the activities of the International Astronomical Consortium for High Energy Calibration (IACHEC), we have developed a standard spectral model for 1E 0102.2-7219. The model is empirical in that it includes Gaussians for the identified lines, an absorption component in the Galaxy, another absorption component in the SMC, and two thermal continuum components. In our fits, the model is highly constrained in that only the normalizations of the four brightest lines/line complexes (the O vii He$\alpha$ triplet, O viii Ly$\alpha$ line, the Ne ix He$\alpha$ triplet, and the Ne x Ly$\alpha$ line) and an overall normalization are allowed to vary. We have examined these measured line fluxes as a function of time for each instrument after applying the most recent calibrations that account for the time-dependent response of each instrument. We perform our effective area comparison with representative, early mission data when the radiation damage and contamination layers were at a minimum. We find that the measured fluxes of these lines generally agree to within +/-10% for all instruments, with 38 of our 48 fitted normalizations within +/-10% of the IACHEC model value.

Monopole excitation of the Hoyle state and linear-chain state inC12

Background: Two new $J^\pi=0^+$ states are recently observed around a few MeV above the Hoyle state (the second $0^+$ state in 12C). The characters of them are only poorly discussed in theory and are still mysterious. Purpose: I give for the first time a comprehensive understanding of the structures of the $0^+$ states by analyzing their wave functions, and discuss relationship with the Hoyle state, similarities, and differences between the states. Method: I extend a microscopic $\alpha$-cluster model called Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-R\"opke (THSR) wave function so as to incorporate $2\alpha+\alpha$ asymmetric configuration explicitly. The so-called $r^2$-constraint method to effectively eliminate spurious continuum components is also used. Results: The $0_3^+$ state is shown to have a very large squared overlap with a single configuration of the extended THSR wave function in an orthogonal space to the Hoyle state as well as to the ground state. The $0_4^+$ state has a maximal squared overlap with a single extended THSR wave function with an extremely prolately-deformed shape. Conclusions: The $0_3^+$ state appears as a family of the Hoyle state to have a higher nodal structure in the internal motions of the $3\alpha$ clusters, due to the orthogonalization to the Hoyle state. The $0_4^+$ state dominantly has a linear-chain structure, where the $3\alpha$ clusters move freely in a non-localized way, like a one-dimensional gas of the $3\alpha$ clusters.

Spatial and Temporal Stability of Airglow Measured in the Meinel Band Window at 1191.3 nm

We report on the temporal and spatial fluctuations in the atmospheric brightness in the narrow band between Meinel emission lines at 1191.3 nm using a λ/Δλ = 320 near-infrared instrument. We present the instrument design and implementation, followed by a detailed analysis of data taken over the course of a night from Table Mountain Observatory. At low airmasses, the absolute sky brightness at this wavelength is found to be 5330 ± 30 nW m−2 sr−1, consistent with previous measurements of the inter-band airglow at these wavelengths. This amplitude is larger than simple models of the continuum component of the airglow emission at these wavelengths, confirming that an extra emissive or scattering component is required to explain the observations. We perform a detailed investigation of the noise properties of the data and find no evidence for a noise component associated with temporal instability in the inter-line continuum. This result demonstrates that in several hours of ∼100 s integrations the noise performance of the instrument does not appear to significantly degrade from expectations, giving a proof of concept that near-infrared line intensity mapping may be feasible from ground-based sites.

Electric multipole response of the halo nucleus 6He

The role of different continuum components in the weakly-bound nucleus $^6$He is studied by coupling unbound spd-waves of $^5$He by means of simple pairing contact-delta interaction. The results of our previous investigations in a model space containing only p-waves, showed the collective nature of the ground state and allowed the calculation of the electric quadrupole transitions. We extend this simple model by including also sd-continuum neutron states and we investigate the electric monopole, dipole and octupole response of the system for transitions to the continuum, discussing the contribution of different configurations.

ALMA observations of TiO2 around VY CMa

Titanium dioxide, TiO2, is a refractory species that could play a crucial role in the dust-condensation sequence around oxygen-rich evolved stars. We present and discuss the detections of 15 emission lines of TiO2 with ALMA in the complex environment of the red supergiant VY CMa. The observations reveal a highly clumpy, anisotropic outflow in which the TiO2 emission likely traces gas exposed to the stellar radiation field. We find evidence for a roughly east-west oriented, accelerating bipolar-like structure, of which the blue component runs into and breaks up around a solid continuum component. We see a distinct tail to the south-west for some transitions, consistent with features seen in the optical and near-infrared. We find that a significant fraction of TiO2 remains in the gas phase outside the dust-formation zone and suggest that this species might play only a minor role in the dust-condensation process around extreme oxygen-rich evolved stars like VY CMa.

Baldwin Effect and Additional BLR Component in AGN with Superluminal Jets

We study the Baldwin Effect (BE) in 96 core-jet blazars with optical and ultraviolet spectroscopic data from a radio-loud AGN sample obtained from the MOJAVE 2 cm survey. A statistical analysis is presented of the equivalent widths ($W_{\lambda}$) of emission lines H$\beta\,\lambda$4861, Mg II\,$\lambda$2798, C IV\,$\lambda$1549, and continuum luminosities at 5100\,\AA, 3000\,\AA, and 1350\,\AA. The BE is found statistically significant (with confidence level \textit{c.l.} $\geq\,$ 95\%) in H$\beta$ and C IV emission lines, while for Mg II the trend is slightly less significant (\textit{c.l.} = 94.5\%). The slopes of the BE in the studied samples for H$\beta$ and Mg II are found steeper and with statistically significant difference than those of a comparison radio-quiet sample. We present simulations of the expected BE slopes produced by the contribution to the total continuum of the non-thermal boosted emission from the relativistic jet, and by variability of the continuum components. We find that the slopes of the BE between radio-quiet and radio-loud AGN should not be different, under the assumption that the broad line is only being emitted by the canonical broad line region around the black hole. We discuss that the BE slope steepening in radio AGN is due to a jet associated broad-line region.

PROTOSTAR L1455 IRS1: A ROTATING DISK CONNECTING TO A FILAMENTARY NETWORK

ABSTRACT We conducted IRAM-30 m C18O (2–1) and SMA 1.3 mm continuum 12CO (2–1) and C18O (2–1) observations toward the Class 0/I protostar L1455 IRS1 in Perseus. The IRAM-30 m C18O results show IRS1 in a dense 0.05 pc core with a mass of 0.54 M ⊙, connecting to a filamentary structure. Inside the dense core, compact components of 350 au and 1500 au are detected in the SMA 1.3 mm continuum and C18O, with a velocity gradient in the latter one perpendicular to a bipolar outflow in 12CO, likely tracing a rotational motion. We measure a rotational velocity profile that becomes shallower at a turning radius of ∼200 au, which is approximately the radius of the 1.3 mm continuum component. These results hint at the presence of a Keplerian disk with a radius &lt;200 au around L1455 IRS1 with a protostellar mass of about 0.28 M ⊙. We derive a core rotation that is about one order of magnitude faster than expected. A significant velocity gradient along a filament toward IRS1 indicates that this filament is dynamically important, providing a gas reservoir and possibly responsible for the faster-than-average core rotation. Previous polarimetric observations show a magnetic field aligned with the outflow axis and perpendicular to the associated filament on a 0.1 pc scale, while on the inner 1000 au scale, the field becomes perpendicular to the outflow axis. This change in magnetic field orientations is consistent with our estimated increase in rotational energy from large to small scales that overcomes the magnetic field energy, wrapping the field lines and aligning them with the disk velocity gradient. These results are discussed in the context of the interplay between filament, magnetic field, and gas kinematics from large to small scales. Possible emerging trends are explored with a sample of 8 Class 0/I protostars.

The relationship between variable and polarized optical spectral components of luminous type 1 non-blazar quasars

Abstract Optical spectropolarimetry by Kishimoto et al. (2004, MNRAS, 354, 1065) has shown that several luminous type 1 quasars show a strong decrease of the polarized continuum flux in the rest-frame near-ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths of λ &amp;lt; 4000 Å. In the literature, this spectral feature is interpreted as evidence of the broadened hydrogen Balmer absorption edge imprinted on the accretion disk thermal emission due to the disk atmospheric opacity effect. On the other hand, quasar flux variability studies have shown that the variable continuum component in UV–optical spectra of quasars, which is considered to be a good indicator of the intrinsic spectral shape of the accretion disk emission, generally has a significantly flat spectral shape throughout the near-UV to optical spectral range. To examine whether the disk continuum spectral shapes revealed as the polarized flux and as the variable component spectra are consistent with each other, we carry out multi-band photometric monitoring observations for a sample of four polarization-decreasing quasars of Kishimoto et al.'s (4C 09.72, 3C 323.1, Ton 202, and B2 1208+32) to derive the variable component spectra and compare the spectral shape of them with that of the polarized flux spectra. Contrary to expectation, we confirm that the two spectral components of these quasars have totally different spectral shapes, in that the variable component spectra are significantly bluer compared to the polarized flux spectra. This discrepancy between two spectral shapes may imply either (1) the decrease of polarization degree in the rest-frame UV wavelengths is not indicating the Balmer absorption edge feature but is induced by some unknown (de)polarization mechanisms, or (2) the UV–optical flux variability is occurring preferentially at the hot inner radii of the accretion disk and thus the variable component spectra do not reflect the whole accretion disk emission.

Spectral components in black hole X‐ray binaries

AbstractThis paper summarises our current understanding of the spectral continuum components observed in black hole X‐ray binaries. The consequences for theoretical models are discussed with an emphasis on the constraints set by observations on the nature of the X‐ray corona in different spectral states. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)