QPOs in microquasars and Sgr A^*: measuring the black hole spin

G. Török

Institute of Physics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava, Bezru\v covo nám. 13, 746 01 Opava, Czech Republic and Nordita, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Paper: Astron.Nachr., 9 (2005) 856-860

Weblink: http://xxx.lanl.gov/ps/astro-ph/0510669

EPrint Server: astro-ph/0510669


Abstract:

In all four microquasars which show double peak kHz QPOs, the ratio of the two frequencies is 3:2. This strongly supports the suggestion that twin peak kHz QPOs are due to a resonance between some modes of accretion disk oscillations. Here, we stress that fits to observations of the hypothetical resonances between vertical and radial epicyclic frequencies (particularly of the parametric resonance) give an accurate estimate of the spin for the three microquasars with known mass. Measurement of double peak QPOs frequencies in the Galaxy centre seems also to be consistent with the 3:2 ratio established by previous observations in microquasars, however the Sgr A* data are rather difficult for the same exact analysis. If confirmed, the 3:2 ratio of double peak QPOs in Sgr A^* would be of a fundamental importance for the black hole accretion theory and the precise measurement could help to solve the question of QPOs nature.


Preprints available from the authors at terek@volny.cz , or the raw TeX (no figures) if you click here.

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