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A black hole X-ray binary at similar to 100 Hz: multiwavelength timing of MAXIJ1820+070 with HiPERCAM and NICER

Paice, J. A.; Gandhi, P.; Shahbaz, T.; Uttley, P.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Charles, P. A.; Dhillon, V. S.; Gendreau, K. C.; Littlefair, S. P.; Malzac, J.; Markoff, S.; Marsh, T. R.; Misra, R.; Russell, D. M.; Veledina, A.

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
2019
VL / 490 - BP / L62 - EP / L66
abstract
We report on simultaneous sub-second optical and X-ray timing observations of the low-mass X-ray binary black hole candidate MAXI J1820+070. The bright 2018 outburst rise allowed simultaneous photometry in five optical bands (ugrizs) with HiPERCAM/GTC (Optical) at frame rates over 100 Hz, together with NICER/ISS observations (X-rays). Intense (factor of 2) red flaring activity in the optical is seen over a broad range of time-scales down to similar to 10 ms. Cross-correlating the bands reveals a prominent anticorrelation on time-scales of similar to seconds, and a narrow sub-second correlation at a lag of approximate to+165 ms (optical lagging X-rays). This lag increases with optical wavelength, and is approximately constant over Fourier frequencies of similar to 0.3-10 Hz. These features are consistent with an origin in the inner accretion flow and jet base within similar to 5000 Gravitational radii. An additional similar to+5 s lag feature may be ascribable to disc reprocessing. MAXI J1820+070 is the third black hole transient to display a clear similar to 0.1 s optical lag, which may be common feature in such objects. The sub-second lag variation with wavelength is novel, and may allow constraints on internal shock jet stratification models.

AccesS level

Bronze, Green accepted

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