Abstract
We review radiative processes responsible for X-ray emission in hard (low) and soft (high) spectral states of black-hole binaries. The main process in the hard state appears to be scattering of blackbody photons from a cold disk by thermal electrons in a hot inner flow, and any contribution from nonthermal synchrotron emission is at most small. In the soft states, blackbody disk emission dominates energetically, and its high-energy tail is due to scattering by hybrid, thermal/nonthermal electrons, probably in active regions above the disk surface. State transitions appear to correspond to a variable inner radius of the cold disk driven by changes of the accretion rate. The existence of two accretion solutions, hot and cold, in a range of the accretion rate leads to hysteresis in low-mass X-ray binaries.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 99-119 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplements |
| Volume | 155 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2004 |
Fingerprint
Cite this
}
Radiative processes, spectral states and variability of black-hole binaries. / Zdziarski, Andrzej A. (Lead / Corresponding author); Gierliński, Marek.
In: Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplements, Vol. 155, 01.05.2004, p. 99-119.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Radiative processes, spectral states and variability of black-hole binaries
AU - Zdziarski, Andrzej A.
AU - Gierliński, Marek
PY - 2004/5/1
Y1 - 2004/5/1
N2 - We review radiative processes responsible for X-ray emission in hard (low) and soft (high) spectral states of black-hole binaries. The main process in the hard state appears to be scattering of blackbody photons from a cold disk by thermal electrons in a hot inner flow, and any contribution from nonthermal synchrotron emission is at most small. In the soft states, blackbody disk emission dominates energetically, and its high-energy tail is due to scattering by hybrid, thermal/nonthermal electrons, probably in active regions above the disk surface. State transitions appear to correspond to a variable inner radius of the cold disk driven by changes of the accretion rate. The existence of two accretion solutions, hot and cold, in a range of the accretion rate leads to hysteresis in low-mass X-ray binaries.
AB - We review radiative processes responsible for X-ray emission in hard (low) and soft (high) spectral states of black-hole binaries. The main process in the hard state appears to be scattering of blackbody photons from a cold disk by thermal electrons in a hot inner flow, and any contribution from nonthermal synchrotron emission is at most small. In the soft states, blackbody disk emission dominates energetically, and its high-energy tail is due to scattering by hybrid, thermal/nonthermal electrons, probably in active regions above the disk surface. State transitions appear to correspond to a variable inner radius of the cold disk driven by changes of the accretion rate. The existence of two accretion solutions, hot and cold, in a range of the accretion rate leads to hysteresis in low-mass X-ray binaries.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=11044236543&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1143/PTPS.155.99
DO - 10.1143/PTPS.155.99
M3 - Review article
VL - 155
SP - 99
EP - 119
JO - Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplements
JF - Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplements
SN - 0375-9687
ER -