Assessing the X-ray Contribution from Jets in X-ray Binaries

Abstract

Astrophysical jets exist from the stellar scale up to AGN, and seem to share common features particularly in the radio. But while AGN jets are known to emit X-rays, the situation for XRB jets is not so clear. Radio jets have been resolved in several XRBs in the low/hard state, and it seems likely that some form of outflow is present whenever this state is achieved. Interestingly, the flat-to-inverted radio synchrotron emission associated with these outflows strongly correlates with the X-ray emission in several sources, suggesting that the jet plasma plays a role at higher frequencies. In this same state, there is also increasing evidence for a turnover in the IR/optical where the flat-to-inverted spectrum seems to connect to an optically thin component extending into the X-rays. We discuss how jet synchrotron emission is likely to contribute to the X-rays, in addition to inverse Compton up-scattering, providing a natural explanation for these correlations and the turnover in the IR/optical band.

4 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the 4th Microquasar Workshop, eds. Ph Durouchoux, Y. Fuchs and J. Rodriguez, published by the Center for Space Physics: Kolkata