A disc corona-jet model for the radio/X-ray correlation in black hole X-ray binaries

TL;DR

This paper presents a disc corona-jet model to explain the complex radio/X-ray correlations observed in black hole X-ray binaries, especially at higher luminosities, by considering the coupling between accretion flow, corona, and jet.

Contribution

The study introduces a detailed disc corona-jet model that accounts for deviations in radio/X-ray correlation at high luminosities in black hole binaries, emphasizing the role of jet suppression.

Findings

The model reproduces observed radio/X-ray correlations for different luminosity regimes.

Jet suppression at high luminosity is consistent with a decreased jet ejection fraction.

X-ray emission is dominated by the disc corona, while radio is dominated by the jet.

Abstract

The observed tight radio/X-ray correlation in the low spectral state of some black hole X-ray binaries implies the strong coupling of the accretion and jet. The correlation of $L_{\rm R} \propto L_{\rm X}^{\sim 0.5-0.7}$ was well explained by the coupling of a radiatively inefficient accretion flow and a jet. Recently, however, a growing number of sources show more complicated radio/X-ray correlations, e.g., $L_{\rm R} \propto L_{\rm X}^{\sim 1.4}$ for $L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm Edd} \gtrsim 10^{-3}$, which is suggested to be explained by the coupling of a radiatively efficient accretion flow and a jet. In this work, we interpret the deviation from the initial radio/X-ray correlation for $L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm Edd} \gtrsim 10^{-3}$ with a detailed disc corona-jet model. In this model, the disc and corona are radiatively and dynamically coupled. Assuming a fraction of the matter in the accretion flow, $\eta\equiv \dot M_{\rm jet}/\dot M$, is ejected to form the jet, we can calculate the emergent spectrum of the disc corona-jet system. We calculate $L_{\rm R}$ and $L_{\rm X}$ at different $\dot M$, adjusting $\eta$ to fit the observed radio/X-ray correlation of the black hole X-ray transient H1743-322 for $L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm Edd}> 10^{-3}$. It is found that always the X-ray emission is dominated by the disc corona and the radio emission is dominated by the jet. We noted that the value of $\eta$ for the deviated radio/X-ray correlation for $L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm Edd} > 10^{-3}$, is systematically less than that of the case for $L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm Edd} < 10^{-3}$, which is consistent with the general idea that the jet is often relatively suppressed at the high luminosity phase in black hole X-ray binaries.