Supernova Archaeology with X-Ray Binary Winds – The Case of GRO J1655-40
The Astrophysical Journal(2024)
Abstract
Supernovae are responsible for the elemental enrichment of the galaxy and
some are postulated to leave behind a black hole. In a stellar binary system
the supernova pollutes its companion, and the black hole can accrete back its
own debris and emit X-rays. In this sequence of events, which is only poorly
understood, winds are ejected, and observed through X-ray absorption lines.
Measuring abundances of elements in the wind can lead to inferences about the
historical explosion and possibly identify the long-gone progenitor of the
compact object. Here, we re-analyze the uniquely rich X-ray spectrum of the
2005 outburst of GRO J1655-40. We reconstruct the absorption measure
distribution (AMD) of the wind, and find that it increases sharply with
ionization from H-like O up to H-like Ca, and then flattens out. The AMD is
then used to measure relative abundances of 18 different elements. The present
abundances are in partial agreement with a previous work with discrepancies
mostly for low-Z elements. The overabundance of odd-Z elements hints at a
high-metallicity, high-mass (≃25 M_⊙) progenitor. Interestingly,
the abundances are different from those measured in the companion atmosphere,
indicating that the wind entrains lingering ambient supernova debris. This can
be expected since the current total stellar mass of the binary (<10 M_⊙)
is much less than the progenitor mass.
MoreTranslated text
Key words
High resolution spectroscopy,Low-mass x-ray binary stars,Stellar accretion disks
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