Astron. Astrophys. 359, 251-268 (2000)

Coupling of the X-ray and radio emission in the black hole candidate and compact jet source GX 339-4

S. Corbel ^{*  1}, R.P. Fender ², A.K. Tzioumis ³, M. Nowak ⁴, V. McIntyre ⁵, P. Durouchoux ¹ and R. Sood <sup>6

1</sup> CEA-Saclay, Service d'Astrophysique, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
² Astronomical Institute `Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics, Kruislaan 403, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
³ Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Paul Wild Observatory, Narrabri NSW 2390, Australia
⁴ JILA, University of Colorado, Campus Box 440, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA
⁵ Department of Astrophysics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
⁶ School of Physics, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Received 4 February 2000 / Accepted 20 March 2000

Abstract

We report the results of a long-term campaign of radio, soft- and hard- X-ray observations of the galactic black hole candidate GX 339-4. In the Low-Hard X-ray state the system displays a strong 3-way linear correlation between soft- and hard-X-rays and radio emission, implying a coupling between the Comptonising corona and a radio-emitting compact jet. In this state the radio emission is linearly polarised at a level of around 2%, with an almost constant polarisation angle, indicative of a favored axis in this system probably related to the compact jet and/or black hole spin axis. In the Off X-ray state the radio emission declines with the X-ray emission to below detectable levels, suggesting that it is simply a lower-luminosity version of the Low-Hard state. In the High-Soft state both the hard-X-ray and radio emission are suppressed. We also note that the transitions from the Low-Hard state to the High-Soft state (and the reverse) are possibly associated with discrete ejection(s) of expanding relativistic plasma.

Key words: stars: individual: GX 339 4 gamma rays: observations radio continuum: stars X-rays: stars accretion, accretion disks black hole physics

* New address: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Send offprint requests to: corbel@discovery.saclay.cea.fr

SIMBAD Objects

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Observations
  • 2.1. Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope
  • 2.2. Australia Telescope Compact Array
  • 2.3. CGRO BATSE
  • 2.4. RXTE ASM
• 3. Radio light curves
  • 3.1. Long term variability
  • 3.2. Short term variability
• 4. Characteristics of the radio emission
• 5. Linear polarisation
• 6. Imaging the persistent radio jet in GX 339-4 ?
• 7. Radio, soft and hard X-rays behaviour
  • 7.1. MJD 48350-48750: 1991-04-04 to 1992-05-08
  • 7.2. MJD 49200-49550: 1993-08-01 to 1994-07-17
  • 7.3. MJD 49550-49750: 1994-07-17 to 1995-02-02
  • 7.4. MJD 49750-50050: 1995-02-02 to 1995-11-29
  • 7.5. MJD 50150-50350: 1996-03-08 to 1996-09-24
  • 7.6. MJD 50350-50600: 1996-09-24 to 1997-06-01
• 8. A transition to the Off state after the 1998 High-Soft state
• 9. Radio, soft and hard X-ray correlations
• 10. Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: June 30, 2000
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