A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system

Todd A. Thompson; Christopher S. Kochanek; Krzysztof Z. Stanek; Carles Badenes; Richard S. Post; Tharindu Jayasinghe; David W. Latham; Allyson Bieryla; Gilbert A. Esquerdo; Perry Berlind; Michael L. Calkins; Jamie Tayar; Lennart Lindegren; Jennifer A. Johnson; Thomas W. -S. Holoien; Katie Auchettl; Kevin Covey

doi:10.1126/science.aau4005

A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system

Todd A. Thompson, Christopher S. Kochanek, Krzysztof Z. Stanek, Carles Badenes, Richard S. Post, Tharindu Jayasinghe, David W. Latham, Allyson Bieryla, Gilbert A. Esquerdo, Perry Berlind, Michael L. Calkins, Jamie Tayar, Lennart Lindegren, Jennifer A. Johnson, Thomas W. -S. Holoien, Katie Auchettl, Kevin Covey

DARK

55 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Black hole binary systems with companion stars are typically found via their x-ray emission, generated by interaction and accretion. Noninteracting binaries are expected to be plentiful in the Galaxy but must be observed using other methods. We combine radial velocity and photometric variability data to show that the bright, rapidly rotating giant star 2MASS J05215658+4359220 is in a binary system with a massive unseen companion. The system has an orbital period of ~83 days and near-zero eccentricity. The photometric variability period of the giant is consistent with the orbital period, indicating star spots and tidal synchronization. Constraints on the giant’s mass and radius imply that the unseen companion is 3:3^þ _- ² ₀ ^: _: ⁸ ₇ solar masses, indicating that it is a noninteracting low-mass black hole or an unexpectedly massive neutron star.

Original language	English
Journal	Science
Volume	366
Issue number	6465
Pages (from-to)	637-640
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau4005
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2019

Access to Document

10.1126/science.aau4005

637.full.pdfFinal published version, 8.77 MB

Cite this

Thompson, T. A., Kochanek, C. S., Stanek, K. Z., Badenes, C., Post, R. S., Jayasinghe, T., Latham, D. W., Bieryla, A., Esquerdo, G. A., Berlind, P., Calkins, M. L., Tayar, J., Lindegren, L., Johnson, J. A., Holoien, T. W. -S., Auchettl, K., & Covey, K. (2019). A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system. Science, 366(6465), 637-640. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau4005

@article{11e62dc3606b4b6492ae79b49f6d0077,

title = "A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system",

abstract = "Black hole binary systems with companion stars are typically found via their x-ray emission, generated by interaction and accretion. Noninteracting binaries are expected to be plentiful in the Galaxy but must be observed using other methods. We combine radial velocity and photometric variability data to show that the bright, rapidly rotating giant star 2MASS J05215658+4359220 is in a binary system with a massive unseen companion. The system has an orbital period of ~83 days and near-zero eccentricity. The photometric variability period of the giant is consistent with the orbital period, indicating star spots and tidal synchronization. Constraints on the giant{\textquoteright}s mass and radius imply that the unseen companion is 3:3{\th} - 2 0 : : 8 7 solar masses, indicating that it is a noninteracting low-mass black hole or an unexpectedly massive neutron star.",

author = "Thompson, {Todd A.} and Kochanek, {Christopher S.} and Stanek, {Krzysztof Z.} and Carles Badenes and Post, {Richard S.} and Tharindu Jayasinghe and Latham, {David W.} and Allyson Bieryla and Esquerdo, {Gilbert A.} and Perry Berlind and Calkins, {Michael L.} and Jamie Tayar and Lennart Lindegren and Johnson, {Jennifer A.} and Holoien, {Thomas W. -S.} and Katie Auchettl and Kevin Covey",

year = "2019",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1126/science.aau4005",

language = "English",

volume = "366",

pages = "637--640",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6465",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system

AU - Thompson, Todd A.

AU - Kochanek, Christopher S.

AU - Stanek, Krzysztof Z.

AU - Badenes, Carles

AU - Post, Richard S.

AU - Jayasinghe, Tharindu

AU - Latham, David W.

AU - Bieryla, Allyson

AU - Esquerdo, Gilbert A.

AU - Berlind, Perry

AU - Calkins, Michael L.

AU - Tayar, Jamie

AU - Lindegren, Lennart

AU - Johnson, Jennifer A.

AU - Holoien, Thomas W. -S.

AU - Auchettl, Katie

AU - Covey, Kevin

PY - 2019/11/1

Y1 - 2019/11/1

N2 - Black hole binary systems with companion stars are typically found via their x-ray emission, generated by interaction and accretion. Noninteracting binaries are expected to be plentiful in the Galaxy but must be observed using other methods. We combine radial velocity and photometric variability data to show that the bright, rapidly rotating giant star 2MASS J05215658+4359220 is in a binary system with a massive unseen companion. The system has an orbital period of ~83 days and near-zero eccentricity. The photometric variability period of the giant is consistent with the orbital period, indicating star spots and tidal synchronization. Constraints on the giant’s mass and radius imply that the unseen companion is 3:3þ - 2 0 : : 8 7 solar masses, indicating that it is a noninteracting low-mass black hole or an unexpectedly massive neutron star.

AB - Black hole binary systems with companion stars are typically found via their x-ray emission, generated by interaction and accretion. Noninteracting binaries are expected to be plentiful in the Galaxy but must be observed using other methods. We combine radial velocity and photometric variability data to show that the bright, rapidly rotating giant star 2MASS J05215658+4359220 is in a binary system with a massive unseen companion. The system has an orbital period of ~83 days and near-zero eccentricity. The photometric variability period of the giant is consistent with the orbital period, indicating star spots and tidal synchronization. Constraints on the giant’s mass and radius imply that the unseen companion is 3:3þ - 2 0 : : 8 7 solar masses, indicating that it is a noninteracting low-mass black hole or an unexpectedly massive neutron star.

U2 - 10.1126/science.aau4005

DO - 10.1126/science.aau4005

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31672898

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 366

SP - 637

EP - 640

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6465

ER -

A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this