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  • The Novel Obscured State of...
    Balakrishnan, M.; Miller, J. M.; Reynolds, M. T.; Kammoun, E.; Zoghbi, A.; Tetarenko, B. E.

    Astrophysical journal/˜The œAstrophysical journal, 03/2021, Letnik: 909, Številka: 1
    Journal Article

    Abstract GRS 1915+105 is a stellar-mass black hole that is well known for exhibiting at least 12 distinct classes of X-ray variability and correlated multi-wavelength behavior. Despite such extraordinary variability, GRS 1915+105 remained one of the brightest sources in the X-ray sky. However, in early 2019, the source became much fainter, apparently entering a new accretion state. Here, we report the results of an extensive, year-long monitoring campaign of GRS 1915+105 with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. During this interval, the flux of GRS 1915+105 gradually diminished; the observed count rate eventually dropped by two orders of magnitude. Simple but robust spectral fits to these monitoring observations show that this new state results from the combination of a dramatic and persistent increase in internal obscuration, and a reduced mass accretion rate. The internal obscuration is the dominant effect, with a median value of N H = 7 × 10 23 cm −2 . In a number of observations, the source appears to be Compton-thick. We suggest that this state should be identified as the “obscured state,” and discuss the implications of this new (or rarely observed) accretion mode for black holes across the mass scale.