Living on a Flare: Relativistic Reflection in V404 Cyg Observed by NuSTAR During its Summer 2015 Outburst

TL;DR

This study analyzes NuSTAR observations of V404 Cyg during its 2015 outburst, revealing relativistic reflection and jet activity near the black hole, and constraining the black hole's spin to be very high.

Contribution

First detailed analysis of relativistic reflection and jet-related flaring in V404 Cyg during outburst, including the first constraints on its black hole spin.

Findings

Relativistic reflection observed during bright flares.

Jet activity likely occurs close to the black hole.

Black hole spin constrained to be greater than 0.92.

Abstract

We present first results from a series of $NuSTAR$ observations of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg obtained during its summer 2015 outburst, primarily focusing on observations during the height of this outburst activity. The $NuSTAR$ data show extreme variability in both the flux and spectral properties of the source. This is partly driven by strong and variable line-of-sight absorption, similar to previous outbursts. The latter stages of this observation are dominated by strong flares, reaching luminosities close to Eddington. During these flares, the central source appears to be relatively unobscured and the data show clear evidence for a strong contribution from relativistic reflection, providing a means to probe the geometry of the innermost accretion flow. Based on the flare properties, analogy with other Galactic black hole binaries, and also the simultaneous onset of radio activity, we argue that this intense X-ray flaring is related to transient jet activity during which the ejected plasma is the primary source of illumination for the accretion disk. If this is the case, then our reflection modelling implies that these jets are launched in close proximity to the black hole (as close as a few gravitational radii), consistent with expectations for jet launching models that tap either the spin of the central black hole, or the very innermost accretion disk. Our analysis also allows us to place the first constraints on the black hole spin for this source, which we find to be $a^* > 0.92$ (99% statistical uncertainty, based on an idealized lamppost geometry).