Analysis of hard X-ray eclipse in SS433 from INTEGRAL observations

TL;DR

This study analyzes INTEGRAL hard X-ray observations of SS433, revealing variable eclipse shapes, an extended corona, and estimating the binary mass ratio, confirming the black hole nature of the compact object.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed modeling of SS433's hard X-ray eclipse and precessional variability, estimating the binary mass ratio and component masses.

Findings

Eclipse shape varies due to dense wind absorption.

Hard X-ray emission originates from an extended corona.

Mass ratio q ≈ 0.3 implies a black hole in SS433.

Abstract

The analysis of hard X-ray INTEGRAL observations (2003-2008) of superaccreting galactic microquasar SS433 at precessional phases of the source with the maximum disk opening angle is carried out. It is found that the shape and width of the primary X-ray eclipse is strongly variable suggesting additional absorption in dense stellar wind and gas outflows from the optical A7I-component and the wind-wind collision region. The independence of the observed hard X-ray spectrum on the accretion disk precessional phase suggests that hard X-ray emission (20-100 keV) is formed in an extended, hot, quasi-isothermal corona, probably heated by interaction of relativistic jet with inhomogeneous wind outflow from the precessing supercritical accretion disk. A joint modeling of X-ray eclipsing and precessional hard X-ray variability of SS433 revealed by INTEGRAL by a geometrical model suggests the binary mass ratio $q=m_x/m_v\simeq 0.25\div 0.5$. The absolute minimum of joint orbital and precessional $\chi^2$ residuals is reached at $q\simeq 0.3$. The found binary mass ratio range allows us to explain the substantial precessional variability of the minimum brightness at the middle of the primary optical eclipse. For the mass function of the optical star $f_v=0.268 M_\odot$ as derived from Hillwig & Gies data, the obtained value of $q\simeq 0.3$ yields the masses of the components $m_x\simeq 5.3 M_\odot$, $m_v\simeq 17.7 M_\odot$, confirming the black hole nature of the compact object in SS433.