1304.6091 (Joseph Neilsen)

The Case for Massive, Evolving Winds in Black Hole X-ray Binaries    [PDF]

Joseph Neilsen

In the last decade, high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy has revolutionized our understanding of the role of accretion disk winds in black hole X-ray binaries. Here I present a brief review of the state of wind studies in black hole X-ray binaries, focusing on recent arguments that disk winds are not only extremely massive, but also highly variable. I show how new and archival observations at high timing and spectral resolution continue to highlight the intricate links between the inner accretion flow, relativistic jets, and accretion disk winds. Finally, I discuss methods to infer the driving mechanisms of observed disk winds and their implications for connections between mass accretion and ejection processes.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1304.6091