A unified accretion-ejection paradigm for black hole X-ray binaries

Free access article

Issue		A&A Volume 447, Number 3, March I 2006


Page(s)		813 - 825
Section		Astrophysical processes
DOI		http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20052689

A&A 447, 813-825 (2006)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20052689

I. The dynamical constituents

J. Ferreira¹, P.-O. Petrucci¹, G. Henri¹, L. Saugé^{1, 2} and G. Pelletier¹

¹ Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, Observatoire de Grenoble, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
e-mail: Jonathan.Ferreira@obs.ujf-grenoble.fr
² Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, 43 Bd 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France

(Received 12 January 2005 / Accepted 19 October 2005 )

Abstract
We present a new picture for the central regions of Black Hole X-ray Binaries. In our view, these central regions have a multi-flow configuration which consists in (1) an outer standard accretion disc down to a transition radius r_J; (2) an inner magnetized accretion disc below r_J driving (3) a non relativistic self-collimated electron-proton jet surrounding, when adequate conditions for pair creation are met; (4) a ultra relativistic electron-positron beam.

This accretion-ejection paradigm provides a simple explanation to the canonical spectral states, from radio to X/ $\gamma$ -rays, by varying the transition radius r_J and disc accretion rate $\dot m$ independently. Large values of r_J correspond to the Quiescent state for low $\dot m$ and the Hard state for larger $\dot m$ . These states are characterized by the presence of a steady electron-proton MHD jet emitted by the disc below r_J. The hard X-ray component is expected to form at the jet basis. When r_I becomes smaller than the marginally stable orbit r_i, the whole disc resembles a standard accretion disc with no jet, characteristic of the Soft state. Intermediate states correspond to situations where $r_J \ga r_i$ . At large $\dot m$ , an unsteady pair cascade process is triggered within the jet axis, giving birth to flares and ejection of relativistic pair blobs. This would correspond to the luminous intermediate state, sometimes referred to as the Very High state, with its associated superluminal motions.

The variation of r_J independently of $\dot m$ is a necessary ingredient in this picture. It arises from the presence of a large scale vertical magnetic field threading the disc. Features such as possible hysteresis and the presence of quasi-periodic oscillations would naturally fit within this new framework.

Key words: black hole physics -- accretion, accretion disks -- magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) -- ISM: jets and outflows -- X-rays: binaries

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