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Astrophysical plasma ejections (jets) are formed and powered by black holes that accrete material from their companion star in binary systems. Black hole X-ray binary systems constitute potential powerful galactic and extragalactic neutrino and gamma-ray sources. After being accelerated to highly relativistic velocities and subjected to various energy-consuming interactions, the lepto-hadronic content of the jets produces secondary particles such as pions and muons that decay to gamma-ray photons and neutrinos heading towards the Earth. In this work, we employ a jet emission model in order to predict the neutrino and gamma-ray integral fluxes emanating from some of the most investigated and prominent stellar black hole X-ray binary systems in the Milky Way, such as GRO J1655-40, Cygnus X-1, SS 433, and GRS 1915+105. For the sake of comparison, we also include an extragalactic system, namely, LMC X-1, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. For the case of gamma-ray emissions, we also include absorption effects due to X-ray emission from the accretion disk and the black hole corona, as well as ultraviolet (UV) emission from the binary system's companion star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBlack holes are now commonplace, among the stars, in Galactic centers, and perhaps other places. But within living memory, their very existence was doubted by many, and few chose to look for them. Zeldovich and Guseinov were first, followed by Trimble and Thorne, using a method that would have identified HDE 226868 as a plausible candidate, if it had been in the 1968 catalogue of spectroscopic binaries. That it was not arose from an unhappy accident in the observing program of Daniel M. Popper long before the discovery of X-ray binaries and the identification of Cygnus X-1 with that hot, massive star and its collapsed companion.

AbstractBlack holes are now commonplace, among the stars, in Galactic centers, and perhaps other places. But within living memory, their very existence was doubted by many, and few chose to look for them. Zeldovich and Guseinov were first, followed by Trimble and Thorne, using a method that would have identified HDE 226868 as a plausible candidate, if it had been in the 1968 catalogue of spectroscopic binaries. That it was not arose from an unhappy accident in the observing program of Daniel M. Popper long before the discovery of X-ray binaries and the identification of Cygnus X-1 with that hot, massive star and its collapsed companion.

The evolution of massive stars is influenced by the mass lost to stellar winds over their lifetimes. These winds limit the masses of the stellar remnants (such as black holes) that the stars ultimately produce. We used radio astrometry to refine the distance to the black hole x-ray binary Cygnus X-1, which we found to be 2:22þ0:18 0:17 kiloparsecs. When combined with archival optical data, this implies a black hole mass of 21.2 ± 2.2 solar masses, which is higher than previous measurements. The formation of such a high-mass black hole in a high-metallicity system (within the Milky Way) constrains wind mass loss from massive stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cygnus X-1 is a well-studied persistent black hole X-ray binary. Recently, the three parameters needed to estimate the black hole spin of this system, namely the black hole mass M, the orbital inclination i, and the source distance D, have been updated. In this work we redetermine the spin parameter using the continuum-fitting technique for those updated parameter values. Based on the assumption that the spin axis of the black hole is aligned with the orbital plane, we fit the thermal disk component to a fully relativistic thin accretion disk model. The error in the spin estimate arising from the combined observational uncertainties is obtained via Monte Carlo simulations. We demonstrate that, without considering the counteracting torque effect, the new spin parameter is constrained to be a* > 0.9985 (3σ), which confirms that the spin of the black hole in Cygnus X-1 is extreme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations of the high-mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-1 have shown that both the companion star (41 solar masses) and the black hole (21 solar masses) are more massive than previously estimated. Furthermore, the black hole appears to be nearly maximally spinning. Here, we present a possible formation channel for the Cygnus X-1 system that matches the observed system properties. In this formation channel, we find that the orbital parameters of Cygnus X-1, combined with the observed metallicity of the companion, imply a significant reduction in mass loss through winds relative to commonly used prescriptions for stripped stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a polarimetric constraint on the hard X-ray synchrotron jet emission from the Cygnus X-1 black hole binary system. The observational data were obtained using the PoGO+ hard X-ray polarimeter in 2016 July, when Cygnus X-1 was in the hard state. We have previously reported that emission from an extended corona with a low polarization fraction is dominating, and that the polarization angle is perpendicular to the disc surface. In the soft gamma-ray regime, a highly polarized synchrotron jet is reported with INTEGRAL observations. To constrain the polarization fraction and flux of such a jet component in the hard X-ray regime, we now extend analyses through vector calculations in the Stokes QU plane, where the dominant corona emission and the jet component are considered simultaneously. The presence of another emission component with different polarization angle could partly cancel out the net polarization. The 90 per cent upper limit of the polarization fraction for the additional synchrotron jet component is estimated as <10 per cent, <5 per cent, and <5 per cent for polarization angle perpendicular to the disc surface, parallel to the surface, and aligned with the emission reported by INTEGRAL data, respectively. From the 20–180 keV total flux of 2.6 × 10−8 erg s−1 cm−2, the upper limit of the polarized flux is estimated as < 3 × 10−9 erg s−1 cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectra of black hole binaries in the low/hard state are complex, with evidence for multiple different Comptonization regions contributing to the hard X-rays in addition to a cool disc component. We show this explicitly for some of the best RXTE data from Cyg X-1, where the spectrum strongly requires (at least) two different Comptonization components in order to fit the continuum above 3 keV, where the disc does not contribute. However, it is difficult to constrain the physical properties of these Comptonization components uniquely using spectral data alone. Instead, we show that additional information from fast variability can break this degeneracy. Specifically, we use the observed variability power spectra in each energy channel to reconstruct the energy spectra of the variability on time-scales of ∼10, 1, and 0.1 s. The two longer time-scale spectra have similar shapes, but the fastest component is dramatically harder, and has strong curvature indicating that its seed photons are not from the cool disc. We interpret this in the context of propagating fluctuations through a hot flow, where the outer regions are cooler and optically thick, so that they shield the inner region from the disc. The seed photons for the hot inner region are then from the cooler Comptonization region rather than the disc itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement on the Imaging Air Cherenkov Technique (IACT) led to the discovery of a new type of sources that can emit at very high energies: the gamma-ray binaries. Only six systems are part of this exclusive class. We summarize the latest results from the observations performed with the MAGIC telescopes on different systems as the gamma-ray binary LS I + 6 1 ∘ 303 and the microquasars SS 433, V404 Cygni and Cygnus X-1, which are considered potential VHE gamma-ray emitters. The binary system LS I + 6 1 ∘ 303 has been observed by MAGIC in a long-term monitoring campaign. We show the newest results of our search for super-orbital variability also in context of contemporaneous optical observations. Besides, we will present the results of the only super-critical accretor known in our galaxy: SS 433. We will introduce the VHE results achieved with MAGIC after 100 h of observations on the microquasar Cygnus X-1 and report on the microquasar V404 Cyg, which has been observed with MAGIC after it went through a series of exceptional X-ray outbursts in June 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a 3D Doppler tomography analysis for the X-ray binary system Cyg X-1 in the HeII λ 4686 ˚A line are presented. Information about the motions of gaseous flows outside the orbital plane has been obtained for the first time. Line profiles obtained in June 2007 on the 2-m telescope of the Terskol Branch of the Institute of Astronomy (Russia) and on the 2.1-m telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory of Mexico were used. A detailed analysis of these spectral data is presented: the distribution of the data in time, distribution of orbital phases for the projections, comparison of the line profile shapes for the data from two observatories. The geometry of the total transfer function obtained in the reconstruction is considered. The possibility of applying the profiles obtained to realize 3D tomography is justified. The resolution of the constructed 3D tomogram in velocity space is 60 × 60 × 40 km/s for Vx, Vy, Vz. Fifteen cross sections for 15 different Vz values perpendicular to the orbital plane are presented. The intensity distributions corresponding to the velocities of gaseous structures in the binary system are obtained. The reconstruction was realized using the radio-astronomical approach, developed for solving problems in tomography with a limited number of projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microquasar Cygnus X-1 displays the two typical soft and hard X-ray states of a black hole transient. During the latter, Cygnus X-1 shows a one-sided relativistic radio-jet. Recent detection of the system in the high energy (HE; E ≳ 60 MeV) gamma-ray range with Fermi- LAT associates this emission with the outflow. Former MAGIC observations revealed a hint of flaring activity in the very high-energy (VHE; E ≳ 100 GeV) regime during this X-ray state. We analyse ~97 h of Cygnus X-1 data taken with the MAGIC telescopes between July 2007 and October 2014. To shed light on the correlation between hard X-ray and VHE gamma rays as previously suggested, we study each main X-ray state separately. We perform an orbital phase-folded analysis to look for variability in the VHE band. Additionally, to place this variability behaviour in a multiwavelength context, we compare our results with Fermi-LAT, AGILE, Swift-BAT, MAXI, RXTE-ASM, AMI and RATAN-600 data.We do not detect Cygnus X-1 in the VHE regime.We establish upper limits for each X-ray state, assuming a power-law distribution with photon index Γ = 3.2. For steady emission in the hard and soft X-ray states, we set integral upper limits at 95 per cent confidence level for energies above 200 GeV at 2.6 × 10-12 photons cm-2 s-1 and 1.0 × 10-11 photons cm-2 s-1, respectively. We rule out steady VHE gamma-ray emission above this energy range, at the level of theMAGIC sensitivity, originating in the interaction between the relativistic jet and the surrounding medium,while the emission above this flux level produced inside the binary still remains a valid possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upcoming launch of the first space based X-ray polarimeter in ~40 yr will provide powerful new diagnostic information to study accreting compact objects. In particular, analysis of rapid variability of the polarization degree and angle will provide the opportunity to probe the relativistic motions of material in the strong gravitational fields close to the compact objects, and enable new methods to measure black hole and neutron star parameters. However, polarization properties are measured in a statistical sense, and a statistically significant polarization detection requires a fairly long exposure, even for the brightest objects. Therefore, the sub-minute time-scales of interest are not accessible using a direct time-resolved analysis of polarization degree and angle. Phase-folding can be used for coherent pulsations, but not for stochastic variability such as quasi-periodic oscillations. Here, we introduce a Fourier method that enables statistically robust detection of stochastic polarization variability for arbitrarily short variability time-scales. Our method is analogous to commonly used spectral-timing techniques. We find that it should be possible in the near future to detect the quasi-periodic swings in polarization angle predicted by Lense-Thirring precession of the inner accretion flow. This is contingent on the mean polarization degree of the source being greater than ~4-5 per cent, which is consistent with the best current constraints on Cygnus X-1 from the late 1970s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarimetric observations of celestial sources in the hard X-ray band stand to provide new information on emission mechanisms and source geometries. PoGO+ is a Compton scattering polarimeter (20–150 keV) optimised for the observation of the Crab (pulsar and wind nebula) and Cygnus X-1 (black hole binary), from a stratospheric balloon-borne platform launched from the Esrange Space Centre in summer 2016. Prior to flight, the response of the polarimeter has been studied with polarised and unpolarised X-rays allowing a Geant4-based simulation model to be validated. The expected modulation factor for Crab observations is found to be M Crab = ( 41.75 ± 0.85 ) % , resulting in an expected Minimum Detectable Polarisation (MDP) of 7.3% for a 7 day flight. This will allow a measurement of the Crab polarisation parameters with at least 5 σ statistical significance assuming a polarisation fraction ∼ 20 % – a significant improvement over the PoGOLite Pathfinder mission which flew in 2013 and from which the PoGO+ design is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show the softest ever spectrum from Cyg X-1, detected in 2013 with Suzaku. This has the weakest high-energy Compton tail ever seen from this object, so should give the cleanest view of the underlying disk spectrum, and hence the best determination of black hole spin from disk continuum fitting. Using the standard model of a disk with simple non-thermal Comptonization to produce the weak high-energy tail gives a highspin black hole. However, we get a significantly better fit by including an additional, low-temperature thermal Comptonization component, which allows a much lower black hole spin. Corroboration of the existence of an additional Compton component comes from the frequency-dependent hard lags seen in the rapid variability in archival high/soft state data. These cannot be explained if the continuum is a single non-thermal Comptonization component, but are instead consistent with a radially stratified, multi-zone Comptonization spectrum, where the spectrum is softer further from the black hole. A complex multi-zone Comptonization continuum is required to explain both spectra and timing together, and this has an impact on the derived black hole spin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of the middle-aged supernova remnant, Cygnus Loop, seen in X-rays, is peculiar, with a blowout in the south region and other irregular features, such as a bump in the west, a limb with a planar morphology in the east and asymmetry between the east and the west shock profiles of the blowout. The detailed process of the formation of the peculiar profile of the shock is still unclear. We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations for the remnant to revisit its evolution. In the simulations, the progenitor ejects an anisotropic, latitude-dependent wind, and travels in a direction that is not aligned with the symmetry axis of the wind. As a result, a cavity with a fringed structure is produced. The remnant has evolved in the cavity for about 104 yr. In the north-east, the shock has first encountered the bow shock, and this part corresponds to the bright north-eastern region. The south blowout is formed due to the shock travelling into the undisturbed wind, and the interaction of the shock with the cavity leads to the other peculiar features of the shock structure. The resulting profile of the remnant is consistent with that indicated in X-rays. It can be concluded that the supernova explosion occurred in the cavity produced by an anisotropic stellar wind experiencing two main phases with different wind velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a dynamic form of modified Newtonian gravity to reformulate the equations for gravitational time dilation. Here we introduce the generic equations for gravitational time dilation. It is shown that these equations agree exactly with gravitational time dilation in satellite navigation systems. The equations are also in agreement with a reanalysis of observations of gravitational red shifts in black hole accretion discs. Using these equations, we translate the time dilation into a finite value at the black hole event horizon. Thus this reformulation resolves the difficulties of the existence of black hole singularities. Importantly these dynamic gravitational equations provide testable predictions in the vicinity of black holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel method for interpreting observations of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) based on a combination of spectroscopic data and numerical results from a radiation hydro-dynamic model of stellar winds. We calculate synthetic Doppler tomograms of predicted emission in low/hard and high/soft X-ray states and compare them with Doppler tomograms produced using spectra of Cygnus X-1, a prototype of HMXBs. Emission from HMXBs is determined by local conditions within the circumstellar medium, namely density, temperature, and ionization state. These quantities depend strongly on the X-ray state of the systems. By increasing intensity of an X-ray emission produced by the compact companion in the HMXB model, we achieved a complete redistribution of the circumstellar medium in the vicinity of the modelled system. These changes (which simulate the transitions between two major spectral states) are also apparent in the synthetic Doppler tomograms which are in good agreement with the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray polarimetry is largely an unexplored area of an otherwise mature field of X-ray astronomy. Except for a few early attempts during the 1970s, no dedicated X-ray polarimeter has been flown during the past four decades. On the other hand, the scientific value of X-ray polarization measurement has been well known for a long time, and there has been significant technical progress in developing sensitive X-ray polarimeters in recent years. But there are no approved dedicated X-ray polarimetric experiments to be flown in the near future, so it is important to explore the polarimetric capabilities of other existing or planned instruments and examine whether they can provide significant astrophysical polarization measurements. In this paper, we present experimental results to show that the CZTI instrument onboard the forthcoming Indian astronomy mission, Astrosat, will be able to provide sensitive measurements of X-ray polarization in the energy range of 100-300 keV. CZTI will be able to constrain any intrinsic polarization greater than ˜40% for bright X-ray sources (>500 mCrab) within a short exposure of ˜100 ks with a 3-sigma confidence level. We show that this seemingly "modest" sensitivity can play a very significant role in addressing long pending questions, such as the contribution of relativistic jets to hard X-rays in black hole binaries and X-ray emission mechanism and geometry in X-ray pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We report the first detection of the J = 1-0 (102.6 GHz) rotational lines of CF+ (fluoromethylidynium ion) towards CygX-N63, a young and massive protostar of the Cygnus X region. Methods. This detection occurred as part of an unbiased spectral survey of this object in the 0:8-3 mm range, performed with the IRAM 30 m telescope. The data were analyzed using a local thermodynamical equilibrium model (LTE model) and a population diagram in order to derive the column density. Results. The line velocity (-4 km s-1) and line width (1.6 km s-1) indicate an origin from the collapsing envelope of the protostar. We obtain a CF+ column density of 4 × 1011 cm-2. The CF+ ion is thought to be a good tracer for C+ and assuming a ratio of 10-6 for CF+/C+, we derive a total number of C+ of 1.2×1053 within the beam. There is no evidence of carbon ionization caused by an exterior source of UV photons suggesting that the protostar itself is the source of ionization. Ionization from the protostellar photosphere is not effcient enough. In contrast, X-ray ionization from the accretion shock(s) and UV ionization from outflow shocks could provide a large enough ionizing power to explain our CF+ detection. Conclusions. Surprisingly, CF+ has been detected towards a cold, massive protostar with no sign of an external photon dissociation region (PDR), which means that the only possibility is the existence of a significant inner source of C+. This is an important result that opens interesting perspectives to study the early development of ionized regions and to approach the issue of the evolution of the inner regions of collapsing envelopes of massive protostars. The existence of high energy radiations early in the evolution of massive protostars also has important implications for chemical evolution of dense collapsing gas and could trigger peculiar chemistry and early formation of a hot core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Observational data from X-ray binary systems provide strong evidence of astronomical objects that are too massive and compact to be explained as neutron or hybrid stars. When these systems are in the thermal (high/soft) state, they emit mainly in the 0.1-5 keV energy range. This emission can be explained by thin accretion discs that formed around compact objects like black holes. The profile of the fluorescent iron line is useful to obtain insight into the nature of the compact object. General relativity does not ensure that a black hole must form after the complete gravitational collapse of very massive stars, and other theoretical models such as naked singularities cannot be discarded. The cosmic censorship conjecture was proposed by Penrose to avoid these possibilities and is yet to be proven. Aims. We study the effect caused by external magnetic fields on the observed thermal spectra and iron line profiles of thin accretion discs formed around Kerr black holes and naked singularities. We aim to provide a tool that can be used to estimate the presence of magnetic fields in the neighbourhood of a compact object and to probe the cosmic censorship conjecture in these particular astrophysical environments. Methods. We developed a numerical scheme able to calculate thermal spectra of magnetised Page-Thorne accretion discs formed around rotating black holes and naked singularities as seen by an arbitrary distant observer. We incorporated two different magnetic field configurations: uniform and dipolar, using a perturbative scheme in the coupling constant between matter and magnetic field strength. Under the same assumptions, we obtained observed synthetic line profiles of the 6.4 keV fluorescent iron line. Results. We show that an external magnetic field produces potentially observable modifications on the thermal energy spectrum and the fluorescent iron line profile. Thermal energy spectra of naked singularities are harder and brighter than those from black holes, and in addition, peak and cut-off energies are affected by the external magnetic field. Moreover, iron line profiles of slowly rotating black holes suffer more changes by a uniform magnetic field, while nearly extremal black holes and naked singularities are more altered in the dipolar case. Based on our calculations, we discard the possibility of modelling the archetypal black-hole candidate in Cygnus X-1 as a naked singularity. Conclusions. Comparison of our models with observational data can be used to probe the cosmic censorship conjecture and to estimate the existence and global geometry of magnetic fields around compact objects by fitting the thermal energy spectra and iron line profiles of X-ray binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A moment approach for orbital determinations of astrometric binaries from astrometric observations alone has been recently studied for a low signal-to-noise ratio (Iwama et al. 2013, PASJ, 65, 2). Through avoiding a direct use of the time-consuming Kepler equation, temporal information is taken into account to increase the accuracy of statistical moments. As numerical tests, 100 realizations are done and the mean value and the standard deviation are also evaluated. For a semimajor axis, the difference between the mean of the recovered values and the true value decreases to less than a tenth in the case of 10000 observed points. Therefore, the present approach works better than the previous one for orbital determinations when one has a large number of observed points. The present approach is thus applicable to CygX-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply the jet model developed in the preceding paper of Zdziarski et al. to the hard-state emission spectra of Cyg X-1. We augment the model for the analytical treatment of the particle evolution beyond the energy dissipation region, and allow for various forms of the acceleration rate. We calculate the resulting electron and emission spectra as functions of the jet height, along with the emission spectra integrated over the outflow. The model accounts well for the observed radio, infrared and GeV fluxes of the source, although the available data do not provide unique constraints on the model free parameters. The contribution of the jet emission in the UV–X-ray range turns out to be in all the cases negligible compared to the radiative output of the accretion component. Nevertheless, we find out that it is possible to account for the observed flux of Cyg X-1 at MeV energies by synchrotron jet emission, in accord with the recent claims of the detection of strong linear polarization of the source in that range. However, this is possible only assuming a very efficient particle acceleration leading to the formation of flat electron spectra, and jet magnetic fields much above the equipartition level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We present the most extensive analysis of Fourier-based X-ray timing properties of the black hole binary Cygnus X-1 to date, based on 12 years of bi-weekly monitoring with RXTE from 1999 to 2011. Our aim is a comprehensive study of timing behavior across all spectral states, including the elusive transitions and extreme hard and soft states. We discuss the dependence of the timing properties on spectral shape and photon energy, and study correlations between Fourier-frequency dependent coherence and time lags with features in the power spectra. Our main results follow. (a) The fractional rms in the 0.125-256 Hz range in different spectral states shows complex behavior that depends on the energy range considered. It reaches its maximum not in the hard state, but in the soft state in the Comptonized tail above 10 keV. (b) The shape of power spectra in hard and intermediate states and the normalization in the soft state are strongly energy-dependent in the 2.1-15 keV range. This emphasizes the need for an energy-dependent treatment of power spectra and a careful consideration of energy- and mass-scaling when comparing the variability of different source types, e.g., black hole binaries and AGN. PSDs during extremely hard and extremely soft states can be easily confused for energies above ~5 keV in the 0.125-256 Hz range. (c) The coherence between energy bands drops during transitions from the intermediate into the soft state but recovers in the soft state. (d) The time lag spectra in soft and intermediate states show distinct features at frequencies related to the frequencies of the main variability components seen in the power spectra and show the same shift to higher frequencies as the source softens. Our results constitute a template for other sources and for physical models for the origin of the X-ray variability. In particular, we discuss how the timing properties of Cyg X-1 can be used to assess the evolution of variability with spectral shape in other black hole binaries. Our results suggest that none of the available theoretical models can explain the full complexity of X-ray timing behavior of Cyg X-1, although several ansatzes with different physical assumptions are promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In general, it is very difficult to test the Kerr-nature of an astrophysical black hole candidate, because it is not possible to have independent measurements of both the spin parameter and possible deviations from the Kerr solution. Non-Kerr objects may indeed look like Kerr black holes with different spin. However, it is much more difficult to mimic an extremal Kerr black hole. The black hole candidate in Cygnus X-1 has the features of a near extremal Kerr black hole, and it is therefore a good object to test the Kerr black hole paradigm. The 3σ-bounds and reported in the literature and valid in the Kerr spacetime become, respectively, and , and and in the Bardeen metric, where g is the Bardeen charge of the black hole. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Context. Cygnus X-1 is the candidate with the highest probability of containing a black hole among the X-ray binary systems in the Galaxy. It is also by far the most often studied of these objects. Recently, the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory Imager on board the Integral satellite (INTEGRAL/IBIS) detected strong polarization in the high-energy radiation of this source, between 400 keV and 2 MeV. This radiation has been attributed to a jet launched by the black hole. Aims. We consider whether the corona around the black hole might be the site of production of the polarized emission instead of the jet. Methods. We studied self-consistently the injection of nonthermal particles in the hot, magnetized plasma around the black hole. Results. We show that both the high-energy spectrum and polarization of Cygnus X-1 in the low-hard state can originate in the corona, without needing to invoke a jet. We estimate the degree of polarization in the intermediate state, where there is no jet, to provide a tool to test our model. Conclusions. Contrary to the commonly accepted view, the jet might not be the source of the MeV polarized tail in the spectrum of Cygnus X-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The X-ray luminosity of black holes is produced through the accretion of material from their companion stars. Depending on the mass of the donor star, accretion of the material falling onto the black hole through the inner Lagrange point of the system or accretion by the strong stellar wind can occur. Cygnus X-1 is a high mass X-ray binary system, where the black hole is powered by accretion of the stellar wind of its supergiant companion star HDE226868. As the companion is close to filling its Roche lobe, the wind is not symmetric, but strongly focused towards the black hole. Chandra-HETGS observations allow for an investigation of this focused stellar wind, which is essential to understand the physics of the accretion flow. We compare observations at the distinct orbital phases of 0.0, 0.2, 0.5 and 0.75. These correspond to different lines of sight towards the source, allowing us to probe the structure and the dynamics of the wind.

Detecting gamma-rays from microquasars is a challenging but worthwhile endeavor for understanding particle acceleration and the jet mechanism and for constraining leptonic/hadronic emission models. We present results from a likelihood analysis on timescales of 1 day and 10 days of ∼4 yr worth of gamma-ray observations (0.1-10 GeV) by Fermi-LAT of Cyg X-1, Cyg X-3, GRS 1915+105, and GX 339–4. Our analysis reproduced all but one of the previous gamma-ray outbursts of Cyg X-3 as reported with Fermi or AGILE, plus five new days on which Cyg X-3 is detected at a significance of ∼5σ that are not reported in the literature. In addition, Cyg X-3 is significantly detected on 10 day timescales outside of known gamma-ray flaring epochs, which suggests that persistent gamma-ray emission from Cyg X-3 has been detected for the first time. For Cyg X-1 we find three low-significance excesses (∼3-4σ) on daily timescales that are contemporaneous with gamma-ray flares reported (also at low significance) by AGILE. Two other microquasars, GRS 1915+105 and GX 339–4, are not detected, and we derive 3σ upper limits of 2.3 × 10–8 photons cm–2 s–1 and 1.6 × 10–8 photons cm–2 s–1, respectively, on the persistent flux in the 0.1-10 GeV range. These results enable us to define a list of the general conditions that are necessary for the detection of gamma-rays from microquasars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of multi-year gamma-ray observations by the AGILE satellite of the black hole binary system Cygnus X-1. In a previous investigation we focused on gamma-ray observations of Cygnus X-1 in the hard state during the period mid-2007/2009. Here we present the results of the gamma-ray monitoring of Cygnus X-1 during the period 2010/mid-2012 which includes a remarkably prolonged "soft state" phase (2010 June-2011 May). Previous 1-10 MeV observations of Cyg X-1 in this state hinted at a possible existence of a nonthermal particle component with substantial modifications of the Comptonized emission from the inner accretion disk. Our AGILE data, averaged over the mid-2010/mid-2011 soft state of Cygnus X-1, provide a significant upper limit for gamma-ray emission above 100 MeV of Fsoft < 20 × 10-8 photons cm-2 s-1 , excluding the existence of prominent non-thermal emission above 100 MeV during the soft state of Cygnus X-1. We discuss theoretical implications of our findings in the context of high-energy emission models of black hole accretion. We also discuss possible gamma-ray flares detected by AGILE. In addition to a previously reported episode observed by AGILE in 2009 October during the hard state, we report a weak but important candidate for enhanced emission which occurred at the end of 2010 June (2010 June 30 10:00-2010 July 2 10:00 UT) exactly coinciding with a hard-to-soft state transition and before an anomalous radio flare. An appendix summarizes all previous high-energy observations and possible detections of Cygnus X-1 above 1 MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The different electron distributions in the hard and soft spectral states of black hole binaries could be caused by kinetic processes and changing because of varying physical conditions in the corona. In the presence of a magnetic field in the corona, the electron distribution can appear thermal, even when acceleration mechanisms would produce non-thermal distributions. This is due to fast and efficient thermalization through synchrotron self-absorption. In this paper, we have analysed data from 6 yr of observations of Cygnus X-1 with the INTEGRAL observatory and produced 12 high-quality, stacked broad-band hard X-ray spectra representative of the whole range of spectral shapes observed in this source. We then fit these spectra with hybrid thermal/non-thermal Comptonization models and study the evolution of the physical parameters of the accretion flow across the spectral transition. In particular, we use the belm model to constrain the magnetic field in the corona through its effects on the coronal emission. Indeed, the hot electrons of the X-ray corona produce soft (optical–UV) synchrotron radiation which is then Comptonized and may affect the temperature of the electrons (and thus the slope of the X-ray spectrum) through Compton cooling. We find that in the softer states, the emission is dominated by Comptonization of the disc photons and the magnetic field is at most of the order of 106 G. In the harder states, the data are consistent with a pure synchrotron self-Compton model, although a significant contribution of Comptonization of disc photons may not be excluded. If the non-thermal excess observed above a few hundred keV in the hard state is produced in the same region as the bulk of the thermal Comptonization, we obtain an upper limit on the coronal magnetic field of about 105 G. If, on the other hand, the non-thermal excess is produced in a different location (such as the jet or a different part of the corona), the constraints on the magnetic field in the hard state are somewhat relaxed and the upper limit rises to ∼107 G. We discuss these constraints in the context of current accretion flow models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, accurate observational constraints have become available for an increasing number of Galactic X-ray binaries (XRBs). Together with proper-motion measurements, we could reconstruct the full evolutionary history of XRBs back to the time of compact object formation. In this paper, we present the first study of the persistent X-ray source Cygnus X-1 that takes into account all available observational constraints. Our analysis accounts for three evolutionary phases: orbital evolution and motion through the Galactic potential after the formation of a black hole (BH), and binary orbital dynamics at the time of core collapse. We find that the mass of the BH immediate progenitor is 15.0-20.0 M⊙, and at the time of core collapse, the BH has potentially received a small kick velocity of ≤77 km s-1 at 95% confidence. If the BH progenitor mass is less than ~17 M⊙, a non-zero natal kick velocity is required to explain the currently observed properties of Cygnus X-1. Since the BH has only accreted mass from its companion's stellar wind, the negligible amount of accreted mass does not explain the observationally inferred BH spin of a∗ > 0.95, and the origin of this extreme BH spin must be connected to the BH formation itself. Right after the BH formation, we find that the BH companion is a 19.8-22.6 M⊙ main-sequence star, orbiting the BH at a period of 4.7-5.2 days. Furthermore, recent observations show that the BH companion is currently super-synchronized. This super-synchronism indicates that the strength of tides exerted on the BH companion should be weaker by a factor of at least two compared to the usually adopted strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cygnus X-1 is a binary star system that is comprised of a black hole and a massive giant companion star in a tight orbit. Building on our accurate distance measurement reported in the preceding paper, we first determine the radius of the companion star, thereby constraining the scale of the binary system. To obtain a full dynamical model of the binary, we use an extensive collection of optical photometric and spectroscopic data taken from the literature. By using all of the available observational constraints, we show that the orbit is slightly eccentric (both the radial velocity and photometric data independently confirm this result) and that the companion star rotates roughly 1.4 times its pseudosynchronous value. We find a black hole mass of M = 14.8 ± 1.0 M⊙, a companion mass of Mopt = 19.2 ± 1.9 M⊙, and the angle of inclination of the orbital plane to our line of sight of i =27.1 ± 0.8 deg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a direct and accurate measurement of the distance to the X-ray binary Cygnus X-1, which contains the first black hole to be discovered. The distance of Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed kpc was obtained from a trigonometric parallax measurement using the Very Long Baseline Array. The position measurements are also sensitive to the 5.6 day binary orbit and we determine the orbit to be clockwise on the sky. We also measured the proper motion of Cygnus X-1 which, when coupled to the distance and Doppler shift, gives the three-dimensional space motion of the system. When corrected for differential Galactic rotation, the non-circular (peculiar) motion of the binary is only about 21 km s-1, indicating that the binary did not experience a large "kick" at formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of the X-ray dust scattering halo of the black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 based on two Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings Spectrometer observations. Using 18 different dust models, including one modified by us (eponymously dubbed XLNW). we probe the interstellar medium between us and this source. A consistent description of the cloud properties along the line of sight (LOS) that describes at the same time the halo radial profile, the halo light curves, and the column density from source spectroscopy is best achieved with a small subset of these models. Combining the studies of the halo radial profile and the halo light curves, we favor a geometric distance to Cygnus X-1 of d = 1.81 ± 0.09 kpc. Our study also shows that there is a dense cloud, which contributes ~50% of the dust grains along the LOS to Cygnus X-1, located at ~1.6 kpc from us. The remainder of the dust along the LOS is close to the black hole binary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there have been several detections of high-mass black hole binaries in both the Milky Way and other galaxies. For some of these, the spin parameter of the black hole has been estimated. As many of these systems are quite tight, a suggested origin of the spin is angular momentum imparted by the synchronous rotation of the black hole progenitor with its binary companion. Using Cygnus X-1, the best studied high-mass black hole binary, we investigate this possibility. We find that such an origin of the spin is not likely, and our results point rather to the spin being the result of processes during the collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed an algorithm that, starting with the observed properties of the X-ray spectrum and fast variability of an X-ray binary, allows the production of synthetic data reproducing observables such as power density spectra and time lags as well as their energy dependence. This further allows us to reconstruct the variability of the parameters of the energy spectrum and to reduce substantially the effects of Poisson noise, helping in studying fast spectral variations. We have applied the algorithm to the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data of the black hole binary Cygnus X-1, fitting the energy spectrum with a simplified power-law model. We found that the distribution of the power-law spectral indices on time-scales as low as 62 ms is limited between 1.6 and 1.8. The spectra index is positively correlated with the flux even on such time-scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of TeV gamma-rays from LS 5039 and the binary pulsar PSR B1259–63 by HESS, and from LS I +61 303 and the stellar-mass black hole Cygnus X-1 by MAGIC, provides clear evidence of very efficient acceleration of particles to multi-TeV energies in X-ray binaries. These observations demonstrate the richness of nonthermal phenomena in compact galactic objects containing relativistic outflows or winds produced near black holes and neutron stars. I review here some of the main observational results on very high energy (VHE) γ-ray emission from X-ray binaries, as well as some of the proposed scenarios to explain the production of VHE γ-rays. I put special emphasis on the flare TeV emission, suggesting that the flaring activity might be a common phenomena in X-ray binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the results from the observations in very high energy band (VHE, Eγ ≥ 100 GeV) of the γ-ray binary LS I +61 303 and the black hole X-ray binary (BHXB) Cygnus X-1. LS I +61 303 was recently discovered at VHE by MAGIC1 and here we present the preliminary results from an extensive observation campaign, comprising 112 observation hours covering 4 orbital cycles, aiming at determining the time-dependent features of the VHE emission. Cygnus X-1 was observed for a total of 40 hours during 26 nights, spanning the period between June and November 2006. We report on the results of the searches for steady and variable γ-ray signals from Cygnus X-1, including the first experimental evidence for an intense flare, of duration between 1.5 and 24 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The INTEGRAL satellite observed the binary black hole system Cygnus X-1 on 2003 June 7–11. The source was detected up to 800 keV, its spectrum beeing compatible with a power law of photon index 2.3. In the framework of the accreting black hole phenomenology, the source was in an unusual state, probably the so-called “intermediate state”. Using the results of the analysis performed on these INTEGRAL data, we present here the spectral properties of our observations over the whole energy range covered by the high-energy instruments on board INTEGRAL. We then compare them with those obtained from earlier observations of Cygnus X-1 performed during the INTEGRAL performance and verification phase in the fall of 2002. At that time, the source was found in the low/hard state, indicating that Cygnus X-1 underwent a transition towards a softer state in 2003 June. We discuss the spectral parameters obtained from a Comptonization model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]