X-ray States of Black Hole Binaries and Applications for General Relativity
Ron Remillard (MIT) - 3 Apr at 12:00 noon
Intensive observations of black hole binaries have altered our
definitions of X-ray states. These states are related to three
physical elements that may contribute radiation: the accretion disk, a
jet, and a compact (and radio-quiet) corona. Each X-ray state
requires a different type of accretion model, and the measurements
provide challenges to apply the predictions of general relativity in
the regime of strong gravity. Of particular interest are the spectral
parameters of the thermal component, high-frequency QPOs, and the
relativistically broadened Fe line. There is hope that these
diverse properties can eventually yield convergent values of black
hole spin, for black holes with known masses in well-studied binary
systems.
The seminar will be held in 544 Campbell Hall.
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