A wildly flickering jet in the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571

TL;DR

This study presents multi-wavelength observations of the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1535-571 during its 2017/2018 outburst, revealing jet behavior, spectral changes, and variability patterns that inform models of jet launching and accretion processes.

Contribution

It provides the first mid-infrared variability study of a black hole binary on minute timescales and links jet suppression to spectral state changes during outburst.

Findings

Mid-infrared flux density exceeded 100 mJy before fading.

Infrared variability fractional rms was 15-22%, higher than optical.

Jet emission suppression coincided with X-ray spectral softening.

Abstract

We report on the results of optical, near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared observations of the black hole X-ray binary candidate (BHB) MAXI J1535-571 during its 2017/2018 outburst. During the first part of the outburst (MJD 58004-58012), the source shows an optical-NIR spectrum that is consistent with an optically thin synchrotron power-law from a jet. After MJD 58015, however, the source faded considerably, the drop in flux being much more evident at lower frequencies. Before the fading, we measure a de-reddened flux density of $\gtrsim$100 mJy in the mid-infrared, making MAXI J1535-571 one of the brightest mid-infrared BHBs known so far. A significant softening of the X-ray spectrum is evident contemporaneous with the infrared fade. We interpret it as due to the suppression of the jet emission, similar to the accretion-ejection coupling seen in other BHBs. However, MAXI J1535-571 did not transition smoothly to the soft state, instead showing X-ray hardness deviations, associated with infrared flaring. We also present the first mid-IR variability study of a BHB on minute timescales, with a fractional rms variability of the light curves of $\sim 15-22 \%$, which is similar to that expected from the internal shock jet model, and much higher than the optical fractional rms ($\lesssim 7 \%$). These results represent an excellent case of multi-wavelength jet spectral-timing and demonstrate how rich, multi-wavelength time-resolved data of X-ray binaries over accretion state transitions can help refining models of the disk-jet connection and jet launching in these systems.