Spectral State Research Articles

Accretion Flow Evolution of a New Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1348–630 during the 2019 Outburst

Abstract Galactic black hole (BH) candidate MAXI J1348–630 was recently discovered by MAXI and Swift/BAT satellites during its first outburst in 2019 January, which continued for ∼4 months. We study the spectral and timing properties of the source in detail. The combined 1–150 keV Swift/XRT, Swift/BAT, and MAXI/GSC spectra are investigated with the two-component advective flow (TCAF) solution. Physical flow parameters of TCAF, such as the Keplerian disk accretion rate, the sub-Keplerian halo accretion rate, the shock location, and the shock compression ratio, are estimated from our spectral fits. Based on the variation of flux in soft and hard X-ray ranges, the hardness ratio, TCAF model fitted accretion rates, and the accretion rate ratio, we show how the source evolved through four spectral states, viz., hard, hard-intermediate, soft-intermediate, and soft, in rising and declining states. Low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations are observed in two observations during the rising phase of the outburst. From the spectral analysis, we estimate the mass of the BH to be M ⊙. We also find that the viscous timescale in this outburst is ∼3.5 days. The distance of the source is also estimated as 5–10 kpc from state transition luminosity.

Properties of two-temperature magnetized advective accretion flow around rotating black hole

ABSTRACT We study the two-temperature magnetized advective accretion flow around the Kerr black holes (BHs). During accretion, ions are heated up due to viscous dissipation, and when Coulomb coupling becomes effective, they transfer a part of their energy to the electrons. On the contrary, electrons lose energy due to various radiative cooling processes, namely bremsstrahlung, synchrotron, and Comtonization processes, respectively. To account for the magnetic contribution inside the disc, we consider the toroidal magnetic fields which are assumed to be dominant over other components. Moreover, we adopt the relativistic equation of state to describe the thermal characteristics of the flow. With this, we calculate the global transonic accretion solutions around the rotating BHs. We find that accretion solution containing multiple critical points may harbour shock wave provided the standing shock conditions are satisfied. Further, we investigate the shock properties, such as shock location (xs) and compression ratio (R) that delineate the post-shock corona (hereafter PSC) and find that the dynamics of PSC is controlled by the flow parameters, such as accretion rate (${\dot{m}}$) and magnetic fields (β, defined as the ratio of gas pressure to the magnetic pressure), etc. Finally, we calculate the emission spectra of the accretion flows containing PSC and indicate that both ${\dot{m}}$ and β play the pivotal roles in explaining the spectral state transitions commonly observed for BH X-ray binaries.

Characterizing continuum variability in the radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 17020+4544

ABSTRACT We present results of temporal and spectral analyses on four XMM–Newton EPIC pn observations of IRAS 17020+4544, a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy with evidence of a radio jet. Analysis of the light curves reveals that this radio-loud source does not behave like the bulk population of its radio-quiet counterparts. A trend of spectral hardening with increased flux is found. Variability is found to increase with energy, though it decreases as the spectrum hardens. The first 40 ks of the most recent observation behave uniquely among the epochs, exhibiting a softer spectral state than at any other time. Possible non-stationarity at low energies is found, with no such effect present at higher energies, suggesting at least two distinct spectral components. A reverberation signature is confirmed, with the lag-frequency, lag-energy, and covariance spectra changing significantly during the soft-state epoch. The temporal analysis suggests a variable power law in the presence of a reflection component, thus motivating such a fit for the 0.3−10 keV EPIC pn spectra from all epochs. We find an acceptable spectral fit using the timing-motivated parameters and report the detection of a broad Fe K emission line, requiring an additional model component beyond the reflection spectrum. We discuss links between this source and other narrow-line Seyfert 1 sources that show evidence of jet activity, finding similarities among this currently very limited sample of interesting objects.

Reobserving the NLS1 galaxy RE J1034+396 – I. The long-term, recurrent X-ray QPO with a high significance

ABSTRACT RE J1034+396 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLS1) in which the first significant X-ray quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in an active galactic nucleus (AGN) was observed in 2007. We report the detection of this QPO in a recent XMM–Newton observation in 2018 with an even higher significance. The quality factor of this QPO is 20, and its period is 3550 ± 80 s, which is 250 ± 100 s shorter than in 2007. While the QPO’s period has no significant energy dependence, its fractional root mean square variability increases from 4 per cent in 0.3–1 keV to 12 per cent in 1–4 keV bands. An interesting phenomenon is that the QPO in 0.3–1 keV leads that in the 1–4 keV bands by 430 ± 50 s with a high coherence, opposite to the soft X-ray lag reported for the observation in 2007. We speculate that the QPO has an intrinsic hard lag, while the previous reported soft lag is caused by the interference of stochastic variability. This soft X-ray lead in the new data supports the idea that the QPO of RE J1034+396 is a possible AGN counterpart of the 67 Hz high-frequency QPO seen in the black hole binary GRS 1915+105. We also search for QPO harmonics, but do not find any significant signals. Our new data reinforce previous results that the QPO is seen in a specific spectral state, as the only two observations showing no significant QPO signal exhibit an even stronger soft X-ray excess than the other six observations that display the QPO. Therefore, our results imply that the QPO in RE J1034+396 is physically linked to a soft X-ray component.

Deep eROSITA observations of the magnificent seven isolated neutron stars

AbstractWe report the initial results of deep eROSITA monitoring of the magnificent seven isolated neutron stars (INSs). Thanks to a combination of high count statistics and good energy resolution, the eROSITA datasets unveil the increasingly complex energy distribution of these presumably simple thermal emitters. For three targets, we report the detection of multiple (in some cases, phase-dependent) spectral absorption features and deviations from the dominant thermal continuum. Unexpected long-term changes of spectral state and timing behaviour have additionally been observed for two INSs. The results pose challenging theoretical questions on the nature of the variations and absorption features and ultimately impact the modeling of the atmosphere and cooling of highly magnetised neutron stars.

Broad-band spectral analysis of LMXB XTE J1710−281 with Suzaku

ABSTRACT This work presents the broad-band time-averaged spectral analysis of neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary, XTE J1710−281 by using the Suzaku archival data. The source was in a hard or an intermediate spectral state during this observation. This is the first time that a detailed spectral analysis of the persistent emission spectra of XTE J1710−281 has been done up to 30 keV with improved constraints on its spectral parameters. By simultaneously fitting the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (0.6–9.0 keV) and the HXD-PIN (15.0–30.0 keV) data, we have modelled the persistent spectrum of the source with models comprising a soft component from accretion disc and/or NS surface/boundary layer and a hard Comptonizing component. The 0.6–30 keV continuum with neutral absorber can be described by a multicolour disc blackbody with an inner disc temperature of kTdisc = 0.28 keV, which is significantly Comptonized by the hot electron cloud with electron temperature of kTe ≈ 5 keV and described by photon index Γ = 1.86. A more complex three-component model comprising a multicolour disc blackbody ≈0.30 keV, single-temperature blackbody ≈0.65 keV, and Comptonization from the disc, partially absorbed (about 38 per cent) by an ionized absorber (log(ξ) ≈ 4) describes the broad-band spectrum equally well.

Colors and patterns of black hole X-ray binary GX 339-4

Black hole X-ray binaries show signs of nonthermal emission in the optical to near-infrared range. We analyzed optical to near-infrared SMARTS data on GX 339-4 over the 2002–2011 period. Using soft state data, we estimated the interstellar extinction toward the source and characteristic color temperatures of the accretion disk. We show that various spectral states of regular outbursts occupy similar regions on color-magnitude diagrams, and that transitions between the states proceed along the same tracks despite substantial differences in the morphology of the observed light curves. We determine the typical duration of hard-to-soft and soft-to-hard state transitions and the hard state at the decaying stage of the outburst to be one, two, and four weeks, respectively. We find that the failed outbursts cannot be easily distinguished from the regular outbursts at their early stages, but if the source reaches 16 mag inVband, it transits to the soft state. By subtracting the contribution of the accretion disk, we obtain spectra of the nonthermal component, which have constant, nearly flat shapes during the transitions between the hard and soft states. In contrast to the slowly evolving nonthermal component seen at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, the mid-infrared spectrum is strongly variable on short timescales and sometimes shows a prominent excess with a cutoff below 1014Hz. We show that the radio to optical spectrum can be modeled using three components corresponding to the jet, hot flow, and irradiated accretion disk.

Fainter harder brighter softer: a correlation between αox, X-ray spectral state, and Eddington ratio in tidal disruption events

Abstract We explore the accretion states of tidal disruption events (TDEs) using a sample of seven X-ray bright sources. To this end, we estimate the relative contribution of the disc and corona to the observed X-ray emission through spectral modelling, and assess the X-ray brightness (through αox, L$_{2\ \rm keV}$, and fEdd,X) as a function of the Eddington ratio. We report strong positive correlations between αox and fEdd,bol; fEdd,X and fEdd,UV; and an anticorrelation for L$_{2\ \rm keV}$ and fEdd,UV. TDEs at high fEdd,bol have thermal dominated X-ray spectra and high (soft) αox, whereas those at low fEdd,bol show a significant power-law contribution and low (hard) αox. Similar to X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei, the transition between X-ray spectral states occurs around fEdd,bol ≈ 0.03, although the uncertainty is large due to the small sample size. Our results suggest that X-ray surveys are more likely to discover TDEs at low fEdd,bol, whereas optical surveys are more sensitive to TDEs at high Eddington ratios. The X-ray and optical selected TDEs have different UV and X-ray properties, which should be taken into account when deriving rates, luminosity, and black hole mass functions.

Spectral and accretion evolution of H1743−322 during outbursts in RXTE era

Aims.We study the spectral evolution of the H1743−322 during outbursts in the RXTE era. We aim to connect the variation of the spectral parameters with the accretion parameters along with the progress of the outbursts. We understand the evolution of the accretion parameters and hence the dynamics of the accretion process in light of the irradiated disc instability model.Methods.We provide a comprehensive study of all the outbursts of H1743−322 between 2003 and 2011. We performed spectral modelling of all the RXTE/PCA observations using phenomenological models. Also, we carried out spectral modelling by a hydrodynamic accretion flow model and estimated the accretion parameters. We applied the irradiated disc instability scenario in the presence of both Keplerian and sub-Keplerain accretion components to understand the evolution of accretion parameters. For this purpose, we propose a toy model for the time variation of the accretion rates following a powerlaw during outbursts.Results.All of the outbursts show spectral state transitions in the hardness-intensity diagram. The 2003 and 2004 outbursts are long-duration outbursts and relatively softer than the other outbursts. The 2008b and 2011 outbursts provide a unique opportunity to estimate the critical accretion rate (ṁdc) for triggering an outburst in this system within a narrow range of 0.076 <ṁdc< 0.086 (in Eddington units). In the absence of any dynamical measurement, we attempt to constrain a few orbital parameters of the system using an assumed mass andṁdcin the range.

On the disc reflection spectroscopy of NS LMXB Serpens X-1: analysis of a recent NuSTAR observation

ABSTRACT We present NuSTAR observation of the atoll type neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) Serpens X-1 (Ser X-1) performed on 2018 February 17. We observed Ser X-1 in a soft X-ray spectral state with 3–79 keV luminosity of LX ∼ 0.4 × 1038 erg s−1 (${\sim}23{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the Eddington luminosity), assuming a distance of 7.7 kpc. A positive correlation between intensity and hardness ratio suggests that the source was in the banana branch during this observation. The broad-band 3–30 keV NuSTAR energy spectrum can be well described either by a three-component continuum model consisting of a disc blackbody, a single temperature blackbody, and a power law or by a two-component continuum model consisting of a disc blackbody and a Comptonization component. A broad iron line ∼5–8 keV and the Compton back-scattering hump peaking at ∼10–20 keV band are clearly detected in the X-ray spectrum. These features are best interpreted by a self-consistent relativistic reflection model. Fits with relativistically blurred disc reflection model suggests that the inner disc radius Rin is truncated prior to the ISCO at (1.9–2.5) RISCO (${\simeq}11.4\!-\!15\, R_{g}\: \text{or}\: 26\!-\!34$ km) and the accretion disc is viewed at a low inclination of i ≃ 16°−20°. The disc is likely to be truncated either by a boundary layer or by the magnetosphere. Based on the measured flux and the mass accretion rate, the maximum radial extension for the boundary layer is estimated to be ∼6.4 Rg from the NS surface. The truncated inner disc in association with pressure from a magnetic field sets an upper limit of B ≤ 1.9 × 109 G.

Multicolor concentric annular ultrafast vector beams.

Novel multicolor concentric annular ultrafast vector beams (MUCAU-VB) are firstly generated simply by using cascaded four-wave mixing (CFWM) in a glass plate pumped by two intense vector femtosecond pulses. A proof-of-principle experiment shows that up to 10 frequency up-conversion concentric annular radially polarized sidebands are obtained simultaneously based on CFWM process, where the spectra range of the first 7 order sidebands extending from 545 nm to 725 nm. The results prove the polarization transfer property from the pump beam to the signal beams even in the CFWM, a third-order optical parametric process. The pulse duration of the first order sideband is measured to be 74 fs which is according with those of two input beams. These novel MUCAU-VB, which are manipulated in temporal, spectral, spatial domain and polarization state simultaneously, are expected to apply in wide fields, such as manipulating particles and multicolor pump-probe experiments.

On the nature of the soft γ-ray emission in the hard state of the black hole transient GRS 1716−249

ABSTRACT The black hole transient GRS 1716−249 was monitored from the radio to the γ-ray band during its 2016–2017 outburst. This paper focuses on the spectral energy distribution (SED) obtained in 2017 February–March, when GRS 1716−249 was in a bright hard spectral state. The soft γ-ray data collected with the INTEGRAL/SPI telescope show the presence of a spectral component that is in excess of the thermal Comptonization emission. This component is usually interpreted as inverse Compton emission from a tiny fraction of non-thermal electrons in the X-ray corona. We find that hybrid thermal/non-thermal Comptonization models provide a good fit to the X-/γ-ray spectrum of GRS 1716−249. The best-fitting parameters are typical of the bright hard state spectra observed in other black hole X-ray binaries. Moreover, the magnetized hybrid Comptonization model belm provides an upper limit on the intensity of the coronal magnetic field of about 106 G. Alternatively, this soft γ-ray emission could originate from synchrotron emission in the radio jet. In order to test this hypothesis, we fit the SED with the irradiated disc plus Comptonization model combined with the jet internal shock emission model ishem. We found that a jet with an electron distribution of p ≃ 2.1 can reproduce the soft γ-ray emission of GRS 1716−249. However, if we introduce the expected cooling break around 10 keV, the jet model can no longer explain the observed soft γ-ray emission, unless the index of the electron energy distribution is significantly harder (p < 2).

Inference on accretion flow properties of XTE J1752-223 during its 2009-10 outburst

ABSTRACT Spectral and timing properties of the stellar-mass black hole candidate XTE J1752-223 during its 2009-10 outburst are studied using RXTE PCA data in the 2.5–25 keV energy range. Low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations are seen during outburst. The spectral analysis is done using two types of models: one is the combined disc blackbody plus power-law model and the other is Transonic flow solution based Two Component Advective Flow (TCAF) model. Light-curve profiles and evolution of hardness ratios are studied using MAXI GSC and Swift BAT data. Based on the evolution of the temporal and the spectral properties, we find that the object evolved through the following spectral states: hard, hard-intermediate, and soft-intermediate/soft. From the TCAF model fitted spectral analysis, we also estimate the probable mass of the black hole in the range of 8.1−11.9 M⊙, and more precisely, the mass appears to be 10 ± 1.9 M⊙.

Rapid spectral transition of the black hole binary V404 Cygni

During the June 2015 outburst of the black hole binary V404 Cyg, rapid changes in the X-ray brightness and spectra were common. The INTEGRAL monitoring campaign detected spectacular Eddington-limited X-ray flares, but also rapid variations at much lower flux levels. On 2015 June 21 at 20 h 50 min, the 3–10 keV JEM-X data as well as simultaneous optical data started to display a gradual brightening from one of these low-flux states. This was followed 15 min later by an order-of-magnitude increase of flux in the 20–40 keV IBIS/ISGRI light curve in just 15 s. The best-fitting model for both the pre- and post-transition spectra required a Compton-thick partially covering absorber. The absorber parameters remained constant, but the spectral slope varied significantly during the event, with the photon index decreasing from Γ ≈ 3.7 to Γ ≈ 2.3. We propose that the rapid 20–40 keV flux increase was either caused by a spectral state transition that was hidden from our direct view, or that there was a sudden reduction in the amount of Compton down-scattering of the primary X-ray emission in the disk outflow.

Unveiling the Temporal Properties of MAXI J1820+070 through AstroSat Observations

Abstract We present here the results of the first broadband simultaneous spectral and temporal studies of the newly detected black hole binary MAXI J1820+070 as seen by Soft X-ray Telescope and Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) on board AstroSat. The observed combined spectra in the energy range 0.7–80 keV were well modeled using disk blackbody emission, thermal Comptonization, and a reflection component. The spectral analysis revealed that the source was in its hard spectral state (Γ = 1.61) with a cool disk (kT in = 0.22 keV). We report the energy dependent time-lag and root mean squared (rms) variability at different frequencies in the energy range 3–80 keV using LAXPC data. We also modeled the flux variability using a single-zone stochastic propagation model to quantify the observed energy dependence of time lag and fractional rms variability, and then compared the results with that of Cygnus X-1. Additionally, we confirm the detection of a quasi-periodic oscillation with the centroid frequency at 47.7 mHz.

A broad-band look of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1748.9−2021 using AstroSat and XMM–Newton

ABSTRACT SAX J1748.9−2021 is a transient accretion powered millisecond X-ray pulsar located in the globular cluster NGC 6440. We report on the spectral and timing analysis of SAX J1748.9−2021 performed on AstroSat data taken during its faint and short outburst of 2017. We derived the best-fitting orbital solution for the 2017 outburst and obtained an average local spin frequency of 442.361098(3) Hz. The pulse profile obtained from 3 to 7 and 7 to 20 keV energy bands suggest constant fractional amplitude ∼0.5 per cent for fundamental component, contrary to previously observed energy pulse profile dependence. Our AstroSat observations revealed the source to be in a hard spectral state. The 1–50 keV spectrum from SXT (Soft X-ray Telescope) and LAXPC (Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter) on-board AstroSat can be well described with a single temperature blackbody and thermal Comptonization. Moreover, we found that the combined spectra from XMM–Newton (EPIC-PN) and AstroSat (SXT + LAXPC) indicated the presence of reflection features in the form of iron (Fe Kα) line that we modelled with the reflection model xillvercp. One of the two X-ray burst observed during the AstroSat/LAXPC observation showed hard X-ray emission (>30 keV) due to Compton up-scattering of thermal photons by the hot corona. Time-resolved analysis performed on the bursts revealed complex evolution in emission radius of blackbody for second burst suggestive of mild photospheric radius expansion.

Probing Supercritical Accretion in Ultraluminous X-ray Source M82 X-1 by means of X-ray Spectral Evolution Analysis

We analyze the spectral evolution of ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) M82 X-1 by means of spectral fitting. We use selectedSwift/XRT data in 2014 and 2015. The flux of M82 X-1 increased by a factor of 2-3 from 2014 to 2015. Most of the data in 2015 show greater dominance of hard component than those of 2014. Due to moderate signal-to-noise ratio, we only fit each spectrum with power-law and disk blackbody model separately. The data in 2014 are better fitted with powerlaw model based on the value of reduced-chi squared. On the other hand, both powerlaw and diskbb models showed comparable re- duced chi-squared value for the data in 2015. We found that the range of spectral index for 2014 data is 1.65 < Γ < 2.08 and for 2015 data is 1.02 < Γ < 1.95 from the powerlaw model, resembling the range for that of black hole binary system at low mass accretion rate. We obtained higher innermost disk temper- ature from the disk blackbody model, 1.20 keV <Tin< 3.63 keV, compared to that of black hole binary system in the thermal state. The calculated innermost radius of the disk,Rin, varies between 0.99 to 4.89RSassuming 10M0black hole which indicates that the spectral state is not in thermal dominant state but rather we suspect that M82 X-1 exhibits greater mass accretion rate than that of the thermal dominant state.

Universal crossed beam imaging studies of polyatomic reaction dynamics.

The marriage between high level quantum calculations and experimental advances in laser technology, quantum state control, and detection techniques have opened the door to the study of molecular collision dynamics at a new level of detail. However, one current challenge lies in adapting these powerful strategies to address questions beyond the scope of the small ground state systems that have largely been the focus of reaction dynamics investigations to-date. For molecules with intermediate or large size (more than 6 atoms), lack of spectroscopic information and spectral congestion limit quantum state preparation, control and detection for experiment, and the large number of degrees of freedom of the system makes accurate quantum dynamics calculations prohibitively expensive. Nevertheless, studies of the chemical dynamics of such systems can reveal novel aspects of reactivity not anticipated based upon the behavior of smaller model systems. This Perspective will highlight applications of soft vacuum ultraviolet photoionization at 157 nm as a universal probe in combination with crossed beams and DC slice velocity map ion imaging to study bimolecular reaction dynamics of molecules of intermediate or large size, illuminated with support of high-level ab initio calculations. Here, we report on the chemical dynamics of atomic oxygen or chlorine reactions with organic compounds: propanol isomers, alkylamines (N(CH3)3 and NH(CH3)2), and isobutene ((CH3)2CCH2) studied using this approach. The polyatomic radical products from the hydrogen abstraction process have been detected by 157 nm photoionization and their slice ion images embody translational energy and angular information that directly reflect the underlying collision dynamics. Various reaction mechanisms (such as direct abstraction and addition-elimination) along with the involvement of roaming dynamics and novel intersystem crossing pathways are presented. These demonstrate the power of this technique to reveal fundamentally new aspects of reaction dynamics that arise in larger reaction systems.

Effect of turbulent pressure on the origin of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in rotating black holes

ABSTRACT Quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO), particularly of low frequency (LF), is a very obvious feature of outbursting black hole candidates. The association of QPOs in a specific spectral state and their transition with states make them a key ingredient in understanding the underlying physical processes that produce them. Observations have revealed that generally, in the hard spectral state of the outburst, the size of the Compton cloud is relatively bigger, which produces low-frequency QPOs (LFQPOs). In progressive days increased cooling shrinks the area of the cloud, the inner edge of the disc comes close to the black holes, and produces higher frequency QPOs. However, rotating black holes with higher spin values are likely to produce LFQPOs even if their inner edge of the disc is closer to the hole. Here, for the first time, we address the issue, solving hydrodynamic flow equations in the presence of qualitative turbulent pressure and cooling in pseudo-Kerr geometry. Increasing turbulence slackens the infalling flow, thus the infall time becomes longer, producing LFQPOs. Our study discovers that the effect of turbulence modifies LFQPOs value significantly, by a factor of a few lower throughout the angular momentum distribution of the flow. We find a strong correlation between the turbulence and the spin parameter of the hole. Finally, we discuss the observed results in light of the present solution.

Radio and X-ray monitoring of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J17591−2342 in outburst

ABSTRACT IGR J17591−2342 is a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar that was recently discovered in outburst in 2018. Early observations revealed that the source’s radio emission is brighter than that of any other known neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (NS–LMXB) at comparable X-ray luminosity, and assuming its likely ≳6 kpc distance. It is comparably radio bright to black hole LMXBs at similar X-ray luminosities. In this work, we present the results of our extensive radio and X-ray monitoring campaign of the 2018 outburst of IGR J17591−2342. In total, we collected 10 quasi-simultaneous radio (VLA, ATCA) and X-ray (Swift–XRT) observations, which make IGR J17591−2342 one of the best-sampled NS–LMXBs. We use these to fit a power-law correlation index $\beta = 0.37^{+0.42}_{-0.40}$ between observed radio and X-ray luminosities (LR ∝ LXβ). However, our monitoring revealed a large scatter in IGR J17591−2342’s radio luminosity (at a similar X-ray luminosity, LX ∼1036 erg s−1, and spectral state), with LR ∼ 4 × 1029 erg s−1 during the first three reported observations, and up to a factor of 4 lower LR during later radio observations. None the less, the average radio luminosity of IGR J17591−2342 is still one of the highest among NS–LMXBs, and we discuss possible reasons for the wide range of radio luminosities observed in such systems during outburst. We found no evidence for radio pulsations from IGR J17591−2342 in our Green Bank Telescope observations performed shortly after the source returned to quiescence. None the less, we cannot rule out that IGR J17591−2342 becomes a radio millisecond pulsar during quiescence.