2006/09/15 by J. M. Miller · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Accretion (finance) #Accretion disc #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Binary black hole #Black hole (networking) #Line (geometry) #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Relativistic quantum chemistry #Spectral line #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/asna.200610680
To appear in Astron. Nachr. in the proceedings of the XMM-Newton workshop "Variable and Broad Iron Lines Around Black Holes", eds. A. C. Fabian and N. Schartel, 2006, Madrid, Spain
arxiv created 2006/09/15 · openalex publication_date 2006/11/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract In this contribution, I briefly review recent progress in detecting and measuring the properties of relativistic iron lines observed in stellar‐mass black hole systems, and the aspects of these lines that are most relevant to studies of similar lines in Seyfert‐1 AGN. In particular, the lines observed in stellar‐mass black holes are not complicated by complex low‐energy absorption or partial‐covering of the central engine, and strong lines are largely independent of the model used to fit the underlying broad‐band continuum flux. Indeed, relativistic iron lines are the most robust diagnostic of black hole spin that is presently available to observers, with specific advantages over the systematics–plagued disk continuum. If accretion onto stellar‐mass black holes simply scales with mass, then the widespread nature of lines in stellar‐mass black holes may indicate that lines should be common in Seyfert‐1 AGN, though perhaps harder to detect. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)