Steiner, James F., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A., Narayan, Ramesh, Gou, Lijun
All prior work on measuring the spins of stellar-mass black holes via the X-ray continuum-fitting method has relied on the use of weakly-Comptonized spectra obtained in the thermal dominant state....
Scientific Productivity with X-ray All-Sky Monitors (2009)
Remillard, Ronald A., Levine, Alan M., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We outline scientific objectives for monitoring X-ray sources and transients with wide-angle, coded mask cameras. It is now possible to instantaneously view half of the sky over long time intervals,...
Measuring the Spins of Stellar-Mass Black Holes (2009)
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A.
In astronomy, the problem of black holes is arguably second in importance only to the problem of cosmology. A current frontier in black hole research is the measurement of spin. During the past three...
A Determination of the Spin of the Black Hole Primary in LMC X-1 (2009)
Gou, Lijun, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Liu, Jifeng, Narayan, Ramesh, Steiner, James F., Remillard, Ronald A., ...
The first extragalactic X-ray binary, LMC X-1, was discovered in 1969. In the 1980s, its compact primary was established as the fourth dynamical black-hole candidate. Recently, we published accurate...
A New Dynamical Model for the Black Hole Binary LMC X-1 (2008)
Orosz, Jerome A., Steeghs, Danny, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Torres, Manuel A. P., Bochkov, Ivan, Gou, Lijun, ...
We present a dynamical model of the high mass X-ray binary LMC X-1 based on high-resolution optical spectroscopy and extensive optical and near-infrared photometry. From our new optical data we find...
A Simple Comptonization Model (2008)
Steiner, James F., Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Ebisawa, Ken
We present an empirical model of Comptonization for fitting the spectra of X-ray binaries. This model, "simpl", has been developed as a package implemented in XSPEC. With only two free parameters,...
Li, Li-Xin, Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
Spin parameters of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries are currently being estimated by fitting the X-ray continuum spectra of their accretion disk emission. For this method, it is necessary...
Shafee, Rebecca, McKinney, Jonathan C., Narayan, Ramesh, Tchekhovskoy, Alexander, Gammie, Charles F., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We describe three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a geometrically thin accretion disk around a non-spinning black hole. The disk has a thickness $h/r\sim0.05-0.1$...
Johannsen, Tim, Psaltis, Dimitrios, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
One of the plausible unification schemes in physics considers the observable universe to be a 4-dimensional surface (the "brane") embedded in a higher-dimensional curved spacetime (the "bulk"). In...
Advection-Dominated Accretion and the Black Hole Event Horizon (2008)
Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
As the luminosity of an accreting black hole drops to a few percent of Eddington, the spectrum switches from the familiar soft state to a hard state that is well-described by a distended and tenuous...
Advection-Dominated Accretion and Black Hole Event Horizons (2007)
Ramesh Narayan, Michael R. Garcia, Jeffrey E. Mcclintock
The defining characteristic of a black hole is that it possesses an event horizon through which matter and energy can fall in but from which nothing escapes. Soft X-ray transients (SXTs), a class of...
Advection-Dominated Accretion Model of the Black Hole V404 Cyg in Quiescence (2007)
Ramesh Narayan Didier, Didier Barret, Jeffrey E. Mcclintock
We have analyzed archival ASCA data on the soft X-ray transient source V404 Cyg in quiescence. We find that in the energy range 0.7 to 8.5 keV the spectrum is a hard power-law with a photon spectral...
Estimating the Spins of Stellar-Mass Black Holes by Fitting Their Continuum Spectra (2007)
Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Shafee, Rebecca
We have used the Novikov-Thorne thin disk model to fit the continuum X-ray spectra of three transient black hole X-ray binaries in the thermal state. From the fits we estimate the dimensionless spin...
A 15.65 solar mass black hole in an eclipsing binary in the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 33 (2007)
Orosz, Jerome A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Bailyn, Charles D., Hartman, Joel D., Mracri, Lucas, ...
Stellar-mass black holes are discovered in X-ray emitting binary systems, where their mass can be determined from the dynamics of their companion stars. Models of stellar evolution have difficulty...
Orosz, Jerome A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Bailyn, Charles D., Hartman, Joel D., Macri, Lucas, ...
This Supplementary Information provides details about the spectral extraction (crowding issues and the removal of nebular lines), a discussion about the distance to M33, a model for the O-star wind...
Estimating the Spins of Stellar-Mass Black Holes (2007)
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Shafee, Rebecca
We describe a program that we have embarked on to estimate the spins of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries. We fit the continuum X-ray spectrum of the radiation from the accretion disk using...
Shafee, Rebecca, Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We consider a simple Newtonian model of a steady accretion disk around a black hole. The model is based on height-integrated hydrodynamic equations, alpha-viscosity, and a pseudo-Newtonian potential...
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A., Rupen, Michael P., Torres, M. A. P., Steeghs, D., Levine, Alan M., ...
The bright X-ray transient H 1743-322 was observed daily by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) during most of its 8-month outburst in 2003. We present a detailed spectral analysis and a...
A 15.65-solar-mass black hole in an eclipsing binary in the nearby spiral galaxy M 33 (2007)
Orosz, Jerome A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Bailyn, Charles D., Hartman, Joel D., Macri, Lucas, ...
Dynamical evidence for a black hole in the eclipsing X-ray binary M33 X-7 (2007)
Orosz, Jerome A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Bailyn, Charles D., Remillard, Ronald A., Pietsch, Wolfgang, Narayan, Ramesh
X-ray Properties of Black-Hole Binaries (2006)
Remillard, Ronald A., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We review the properties and behavior X-ray binaries that contain an accreting black hole. The larger majority of such systems are X-ray transients, and many of them were observed in daily pointings...
The Spin of the Near-Extreme Kerr Black Hole GRS 1915+105 (2006)
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Shafee, Rebecca, Narayan, Ramesh, Remillard, Ronald A., Davis, Shane W., Li, Li-Xin
Based on a spectral analysis of the X-ray continuum that employs a fully relativistic accretion-disk model, we conclude that the compact primary of the binary X-ray source GRS 1915+105 is a...
Estimating the spin of stellar-mass black holes by spectral fitting of the X-ray continuum (2006)
Shafee, Rebecca, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Davis, Shane W., Li, Li-Xin, Remillard, Ronald A.
The spin of the near-extreme Kerr black hole GRS 1915+105 (2006)
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Shafee, Rebecca, Narayan, Ramesh, Remillard, Ronald A., Davis, Shane W., Li, Li-Xin
A Soft X-ray Transient in the M31 Bulge (2005)
Williams, Benjamin F., Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Primini, Frank A., Murray, Stephen S.
We have examined a probable soft X-ray transient source in the M31 bulge at R.A.=0:42:41.814 +/- 0.08", Dec. = 41:16:35.86 +/- 0.07". On the three occasions we observed the source, its spectrum was...
Chandra and Hubble Study of a New Transient X-ray Source in M31 (2005)
Williams, Benjamin F., Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Primini, Frank A., Murray, Stephen S.
We present X-ray and optical observations of a new transient X-ray source in M31 first detected 23-May-2004 at R.A.=00:43:09.940 +/- 0.65'', Dec.=41:23:32.49 +/- 0.66''. The X-ray lightcurve shows...
Estimating the Spin of Stellar-Mass Black Holes via Spectral Fitting of the X-ray Continuum (2005)
Shafee, Rebecca, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Davis, Shane W., Li, Li-Xin, Remillard, Ronald A.
We fit X-ray spectral data in the thermal dominant or high soft state of two dynamically confirmed black holes, GRO J1655-40 and 4U 1543-47, and estimate the dimensionless spin parameters a* = a/M of...
Optical Constraints on an X-ray Transient Source in M31 (2005)
Williams, Benjamin F., Garcia, Michael R., Primini, Frank A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Murray, Stephen S.
We have detected a transient X-ray source in the M31 bulge through a continuing monitoring campaign with the Chandra ACIS-I camera. The source was detected at R.A.=00:42:33.428 +/- 0.11'',...
An X-ray Transient and Optical Counterpart in the M31 Bulge (2005)
Williams, Benjamin F., Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Kong, Albert K. H., Primini, Frank A., Murray, Stephen S.
We have obtained snapshot images of a transient X-ray source in M31 from Chandra ACIS-I and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The Chandra position of the X-ray nova...
Li, Li-Xin, Zimmerman, Erik R., Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We use a ray-tracing technique to compute the observed spectrum of a thin accretion disk around a Kerr black hole. We include all relativistic effects such as frame-dragging, Doppler boost,...
Inclination Effects and Beaming in Black Hole X-ray Binaries (2004)
Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We investigate the dependence of observational properties of black hole X-ray binaries on the inclination angle i of their orbits. We find the following: (1) Transient black hole binaries show no...
Park, Shinae Q., Miller, Jon M., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Murray, Stephen S.
We present an analysis of a Chandra observation of the field surrounding the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1755-33, which has been in quiescence since 1996. In 2003, Angelini and White reported the...
Why are X-ray sources in the M31 Bulge so close to Planetary Nebulae? (2004)
Williams, Benjamin F., Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Kong, Albert K. H.
We compare a deep (37 ks) Chandra ACIS-S image of the M31 bulge to deep [O III] Local Group Survey data of the same region. Through precision image alignment using globular cluster X-ray sources, we...
The X-ray Outburst of H1743-322: High-Frequency QPOs with a 3:2 Frequency Ratio (2004)
Remillard, Ronald A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Orosz, Jerome A., Levine, Alan M.
We observed the 2003 X-ray outburst of H1743-322 in a series of 130 pointed observation with RXTE. We searched individual observations for high-frequency QPOs (HFQPOs) and found only weak or marginal...
Orbital Parameters for the Black Hole Binary XTE J1650-500 (2004)
Orosz, Jerome A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A., Corbel, Stephane
(Shortened) We present R-band photometry of the X-ray transient and candidate black hole binary XTE J1650-500 obtained between 2003 May and August with the 6.5m Clay Telescope. A timing analysis of...
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Rybicki, George B.
A soft component of thermal emission is very commonly observed from the surfaces of quiescent, accreting neutron stars. We searched with Chandra for such a surface component of emission from the...
Abramowicz, Marek A., Kluzniak, Wlodek, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A.
Recently, twin-peak QPOs have been observed in a 3:2 ratio for three Galactic black-hole microquasars with frequencies that have been shown to scale as 1/M, as expected for general relativisitic...
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A.
We review the properties of 40 X-ray binaries that contain either a confirmed black hole or a black hole candidate. After discussing briefly the significance of these Galactic black holes to both...
Multiwavelength Spectrum of the Black Hole XTE J1118+480 in Quiescence (2003)
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Garcia, Michael R., Orosz, Jerome A., Remillard, Ronald A., Murray, Stephen S.
We present an X-ray/UV/optical spectrum of the black hole primary in the X-ray nova XTE J1118+480 in quiescence at L_x = 4 x 10^{-9} of the Eddington luminosity. The Chandra, HST and MMT...
X-ray QPOs in Black-Hole Binary Systems (2002)
Remillard, Ronald A., Muno, Michael P., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Orosz, Jerome A.
We briefly review the properties and physical consequences of quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) seen on many occasions in the X-ray emission from black-hole binary systems. We also report on the...
Remillard, Ronald A., Muno, Michael P., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Orosz, Jerome A.
We continue to investigate the X-ray timing and spectral properties of the black hole binary, XTE J1550-564. For three different groups of observations, we show evidence that two high-frequency QPOs...
Dynamical Evidence for a Black Hole in the Microquasar XTE J1550-564 (2001)
Orosz, Jerome A., Groot, Paul J., Van Der Klis, Michiel, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Garcia, Michael R., Zhao, Ping, ...
Optical spectroscopic observations of the companion star (type G8IV to K4III) in the microquasar system XTE J1550-564 reveal a radial velocity curve with a best fitting spectroscopic period of P_sp =...
Chandra and RXTE Observations of X-ray Novae (2001)
We discuss new observations of X-ray novae with Chandra which provide strong evidence that black holes have event horizons. The evidence is based on the finding that black hole X-ray novae in...
X-ray Novae and the Evidence for Black Hole Event Horizons (2001)
Narayan, Ramesh, Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We discuss new observations of X-ray novae which provide strong evidence that black holes have event horizons. Optical observations of 13 X-ray novae indicate that these binary stars contain...
Modeling the low-state spectrum of the X-Ray nova XTE J1118+480 (2001)
Esin, Ann A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Drake, Jeremy J., Garcia, Michael R., Haswell, Carole A., Hynes, Robert I., ...
Based on recent multiwavelength observations of the new X-ray nova XTE J1118+480, we can place strong constraints on the geometry of the accretion flow in which a low/hard-state spectrum,...
Characterizing the QPO Behavior of the X-ray Nova XTE J1550--564 (2001)
Remillard, Ronald A., Sobczak, Gregory J., Muno, Michael P., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
For all 209 RXTE observations of the X-ray nova XTE J1550-564 during its major outburst of 1998-1999, we have analyzed the X-ray power spectra, phase lags, and coherence functions. The phase lags and...
A Black Hole in the Superluminal source SAX J1819.3-2525 (V4641 Sgr) (2001)
Orosz, Jerome A., Kuulkers, Erik, Van Der Klis, Michiel, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Garcia, Michael R., Callanan, Paul J., ...
(shortened) Spectroscopic observations of the fast X-ray transient and superluminal jet source SAX J1819.3-2525 (V4641 Sgr) reveal a best fitting period of P_spect=2.81678 +/- 0.00056 days and a...
New Evidence for Black Hole Event Horizons from Chandra (2000)
Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh, Callanan, Paul, Murray, Stephen S.
Previously we claimed that Black Hole X-ray Novae (BHXN) in quiescence are much less luminous than equivalent Neutron Star X-ray Novae (NSXN). This claim was based on the quiescent detection of a...
Menou, Kristen, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We use the observed optical-UV and X-ray emission spectrum of Cen X-4 during quiescence to constrain models for the accretion flow in this system. We argue that the optical-UV emission is not due to...
Optical Observations of the Black Hole Candidate XTE J1550-564 During Re-Flare and Quiescence (2000)
Jain, Raj K., Bailyn, Charles D., Orosz, Jerome A., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Sobczak, Gregory J., Remillard, Ronald A.
We report optical monitoring of the soft X-ray transient XTE J1550-564 during the 1999 season (4 January 1999 to 24 August 1999). The first optical observations available in 1999 show that the peak...
Complete RXTE Spectral Observations of the Black Hole X-ray Nova XTE J1550-564 (2000)
Sobczak, Gregory J., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A., Cui, Wei, Levine, Alan M., Morgan, Edward H., ...
We report on the X-ray spectral behavior of the exceptionally bright X-ray nova XTE J1550-564 during its 1998-99 outburst. Our study is based on 209 pointed observations using the PCA and HEXTE...
Characterizing the Low-Frequency QPO behavior of the X-ray Nova XTE J1550-564 (2000)
Sobczak, Gregory J., Remillard, Ronald A., Muno, Michael P., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
For all 209 RXTE observations of the 7-Crab X-ray nova XTE J1550-564, we analyzed the X-ray power spectra, phase lags, and coherence functions. These observations cover the entire 250 day outburst...
A First Look at the Nuclear Region of M31 with Chandra (2000)
Garcia, Michael R., Murray, Stephen S., Primini, Francis A., Forman, William R., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Jones, Christine
We report on the first observation of the nuclear region of M31 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The nuclear source seen with the Einstein and ROSAT HRIs is resolved into five point sources. One...
Esin, Ann A., Kuulkers, Erik, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Narayan, Ramesh
We test whether the model proposed by Esin et al. to explain X-ray observations of the black hole soft X-ray transient GRS 1124-68 in outburst can also explain the optical lightcurves of a similar...
Sobczak, Gregory J., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A., Cui, Wei, Levine, Alan M., Morgan, Edward H., ...
Utilizing observations obtained with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, we examine correlations between the properties of 0.08-22 Hz variable frequency QPOs and the X-ray spectral parameters for the...
HST/STIS UV Spectroscopy of Two Quiescent X-ray Novae: A0620-00 and Centaurus X-4 (1999)
McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A.
In 1998 we made UV spectroscopic observations with HST/STIS of A0620-00 and Cen X-4, which are two X-ray novae (aka soft X-ray transients). These binary systems are similar in all respects except...
Black Hole and Neutron Star Transients in Quiescence (1998)
Menou, Kristen, Esin, Ann A., Narayan, Ramesh, Garcia, Michael R., Lasota, Jean-Pierre, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We consider the X-ray luminosity difference between neutron star and black hole soft X-ray transients (NS and BH SXTs) in quiescence. The current observational data suggest that BH SXTs are...
RXTE Spectral Observations of the 1996-97 Outburst of the Microquasar GRO J1655-40 (1998)
Sobczak, Gregory J., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A., Bailyn, Charles D., Orosz, Jerome A.
Excellent coverage of the entire 16-month 1996-97 outburst cycle of GRO J1655-40 was provided by RXTE. We present a full spectral analysis of these data, which includes 52 PCA spectra from 2.5-20 keV...
Kristen Menou, Ann A. Esin, Ramesh Narayan, Michael R. Garcia, Jeffrey E. Mcclintock
We consider the X-ray luminosity di†erence between neutron star and black hole soft X-ray transients (NS and BH SXTs) in quiescence. The current observational data suggest that BH SXTs are...
Orbital Parameters for the Soft X-ray Transient 4U 1543-47: Evidence for a Black Hole (1997)
Orosz, Jerome A., Jain, Raj K., Bailyn, Charles D., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Remillard, Ronald A.
(shortened) Spectroscopic observations of the soft X-ray transient 4U 1543-47 reveal a radial velocity curve with a period of P=1.123 +/- 0.008 days and a semi-amplitude of K_2 = 124 +/- 4 km/sec....
Multifrequency Observations of the Galactic Microquasars GRS1915+105 and GROJ1655-40 (1997)
Remillard, Ronald A., Morgan, Edward H., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Bailyn, Charles D., Orosz, Jerome A., Greiner, Jochen
The two galactic `microquasars' with superluminal radio jets have been quite active during 1996, generatinga variety of studies involving both NASA and ground-based observatories. GRS~1915+105 has...
Advection-Dominated Accretion and Black Hole Event Horizons (1997)
Narayan, Ramesh, Garcia, Michael R., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
The defining characteristic of a black hole is that it possesses an event horizon through which matter and energy can fall in but from which nothing escapes. Soft X-ray transients (SXTs), a class of...
An Optical Precursor to the Recent X-ray Outburst of the Black Hole Binary GRO J1655-40 (1997)
Orosz, Jerome A., Remillard, Ronald A., Bailyn, Charles D., McClintock, Jeffrey E.
The All Sky Monitor on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer detected an X-ray (2-12 keV) outburst from the black hole binary GRO J1655-40 beginning near April 25, 1996. Optical photometry obtained April...
Advection-Dominated Accretion Model of the Black Hole V404 Cyg in Quiescence (1996)
Narayan, Ramesh, Barret, Didier, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
We have analyzed archival ASCA data on the soft X-ray transient source V404 Cyg in quiescence. We find that in the energy range 0.7 to 8.5 keV the spectrum is a hard power-law with a photon spectral...
Models of Quiescent Black Hole Neutron Star Soft X-Ray Transients (1995)
Yi, Insu, Narayan, Ramesh, Barret, Didier, McClintock, Jeffrey E.
When the mass accretion rate onto a black hole (BH) falls below a critical rate, ${\dot M}_{crit}\sim \alpha^2 {\dot M}_{Edd}$, accretion can occur via a hot optically thin flow where most of the...
Observations of the X-ray Nova GRO~J0422+32: II: Optical Spectra Approaching Quiescence (1995)
Garcia, Michael R., Callanan, Paul J., McClintock, Jeffrey E., Zhao, Ping
We present results obtained from a series of 5~\AA\ resolution spectra of the X-ray Nova GRO~J0422+32 obtained in 1993~October, when the system was approximately 2 magnitudes above quiescence, with...
A New Model for Black Hole Soft X-ray Transients in Quiescence (1995)
Narayan, Ramesh, McClintock, Jeffrey E., Yi, Insu
We present models of the soft X-ray transients, A0620-00, V404 Cyg, and X-ray Nova Mus 1991, in quiescence. In each source, we postulate that there is an outer region, extending outward from about...