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The decline and fall of GRS 1915+105: the end is nigh?
- Source :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters; May2006, Vol. 368 Issue 1, pL25-L29, 1p, 1 Chart
- Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- The Galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105 has been in a continuous state of outburst since 1992, over 20 times longer than any other black hole X-ray transient. Assuming that the outburst is powered via accretion of an irradiated gaseous disc, we calculate how the predicted outburst duration varies according to the efficiency of the self-irradiation mechanism. At least one current model leads to the conclusion that the end of the outburst is imminent. The timing of the decline of GRS 1915+105, whenever it arrives, will be an excellent discriminator of the self-irradiation mechanism in X-ray transients, allowing us to infer the fraction of the disc that is heated by the incident X-rays and the magnitude of the mass loss rate in the form of a wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 17453925
- Volume :
- 368
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 20466365
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2006.00149.x