Optical, J, and K light curves of XTE J1118+480 = KV UMa: the mass of the black hole and the spectrum of the non-stellar component

TL;DR

This study presents optical, J, and K light curves of the X-ray binary KV UMa, determining the black hole's mass, orbital inclination, and the spectrum of the non-stellar component, along with evolutionary modeling of the system.

Contribution

It provides new measurements of the black hole mass and orbital inclination, and models the non-stellar spectrum and orbital evolution considering magnetic stellar wind effects.

Findings

Black hole mass estimated at 7.06-7.24 solar masses.

Orbital inclination determined as 74±4 degrees.

Non-stellar spectrum follows a power law with index -1.8.

Abstract

Optical, J, and K photometric observations of the KV UMa black hole X-ray nova in its quiescent state obtained in 2017-2018 are presented. A significant flickering within light curves was not detected, although the average brightness of the system faded by $\approx 0.1^m$ during 350 days. Changes in the average brightness were not accompanied with the increase or the decrease of the flickering. From the modelling of five light curves the inclination of the KV UMa orbit and the black hole mass were obtained: $i=74^{\circ}\pm 4^{\circ}$, $M_{BH}=(7.06\div 7.24)M_{\odot}$ dependently on the used mass ratio. The non-stellar component of the spectrum in the range $\lambda=6400\div 22000$\r{A} can be fitted by a power law $F_{\lambda}\sim \lambda^{\alpha}$, $\alpha\approx -1.8$. The accretion disk orientation angle changed from one epoch to another. The model with spots on the star was inadequate. Evolutionary calculations using the "Scenario Machine" code were performed for low mass X-ray binaries, a recently discovered anomalously rapid decrease of the orbital period was taken into account. We showed that the observed decrease can be consistent with the magnetic stellar wind of the optical companion which magnetic field was increased during the common envelope stage. Several constraints on evolutionary scenario parameters were done.