Quasi Periodic Oscillation

 

 

The data are X-ray light curves from a galactic binary system, formed of 2 stars of which one has collapsed to a compact object, very probably a black hole of a few solar masses. Gas from the companion star is attracted to the black hole and forms an accretion disk around it, and in this disk turbulence occurs which causes the gas to accrete slowly to the black hole. The X-rays we see come from the disk and its corona, heated by the energy released as the gas falls deeper into the potential well of the black hole. The data were obtained by RXTE, an X-ray satellite dedicated to the observation of this kind of sources, and in particular their fast variability which informs us on the proceses in the disk. In particular they show a QPO (quasi-periodic oscillation) at a varying frequency of the order of 1 to 10 Hz, which probably corresponds to a standing feature rotating in the disk. Observations were obtained in a 1000s interval, in 5 energy bands (2-5keV, 5-13keV,13-20keV,20-40keV, 40-60keV). Spectrograms are represented in logarithm.

2-5keV band

Spectrograms and filtered spectogram by the ridgelet transform of the QPO in the 2-5keV band.

5-13keV band.

Spectrograms and filtered spectogram by the ridgelet transform of the QPO in the 5-13keV band.

13-20 keV band.

Spectrograms and filtered spectogram by the ridgelet transform of the QPO in the 13-20keV band .

20-40 keV band.

Spectrograms and filtered spectogram by the ridgelet transform of the QPO in the 20-40keV band.

40-60 keV band.

Spectrograms and filtered spectogram by the ridgelet transform of the QPO in the 40-60keV band.