Letter to the Editor

Evolution of the quasi-periodic oscillation frequency in GRO J1655-40 – Implications for accretion disk dynamics

¹ S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098, India e-mail: chakraba@bose.res.in
² Indian Centre for Space Physics, Chalantika 43, Garia Station Rd., Kolkata 700084, India
³ On leave from Indian Space Research Organization, Bangalore

Received: 6 May 2008
Accepted: 20 August 2008

Abstract

Context. Low and intermediate frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are thought to be due to oscillations of Comptonizing regions or hot blobs embedded in Keplerian disks. Any movement of these perturbations is expected systematically to change the QPO frequency.

Aims. Our goal is to find systems where such a systematic drifts have been observed. We also try to find the real cause of such drifts and whether they shed some light on the accretion disk dynamics.

Methods. Using archival data of the recent outburst of GRO J1655-40, we report the presence of such systematic drifts not only during the rising phase from the 25th of February 2005 to the 12th March 2005, when the QPO frequency monotonically increased from 82 mHz to 17.78 Hz but also in the decline phase from the 15th September 2005 to the 5th of October 2005, when the QPO frequency decreased from 13.14 Hz to 34 mHz.

Results. We fitted the frequency drifts with the propagatory oscillating shock solution. In the shock-oscillation solution, the frequency is inversely proportional to the infall time scale from the shock location. We obtained the shock location and strength through such a fit.

Conclusions. The astonishing smoothness of the variation of the QPO frequency over a period of weeks directly supports the view that it may due to the drift of an oscillating shock rather than the movements of a blob inside a differentially rotating disk.