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Testing the Kerr Black Hole Hypothesis with GX 339-4 by a combined analysis of its thermal spectrum and reflection features

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arxiv 2010.13474 v2 pith:IP2QYWJM submitted 2020-10-26 astro-ph.HE gr-qc

Ashutosh Tripathi , Askar B. Abdikamalov , Dimitry Ayzenberg , Cosimo Bambi , Victoria Grinberg , Menglei Zhou This is my paper · ORCID
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abstract

We analyze simultaneous observations with NuSTAR and Swift of the black hole binary GX 339-4 in which we clearly detect both a strong thermal component and prominent relativistic reflection features. We employ NKBB and RELXILL_NK, which are the state of the art of, respectively, the thermal and reflection models to test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. We obtain unprecedented precise measurements of the Johannsen deformation parameter $\alpha_{13}$: $\alpha_{13} = -0.012_{-0.039}^{+0.011}$ (lamppost coronal geometry) and $\alpha_{13} = -0.010_{-0.018}^{+0.024}$ (broken power-law emissivity profile) at a 90% confidence level, where the Kerr metric corresponds to $\alpha_{13} = 0$. We investigate the systematic uncertainties by fitting the data with different models.

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Cited by 6 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

  1. Probing the Strong Gravity Region of Black Holes with eXTP

    astro-ph.HE 2025-06 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    eXTP's large collecting area and combined spectral, timing, and polarimetric instruments are simulated to improve black hole spin and mass measurements and to tighten tests of the Kerr metric.

  2. Quasi-normal modes of slowly-rotating Johannsen black holes

    gr-qc 2024-12 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    For slowly rotating Johannsen black holes, the deformation parameter alpha_13 dominates the quasi-normal mode shifts, and ringdown data from GW170104 bound it to be consistent with zero.

  3. Observing the eye of the storm I: testing regular black holes with LVK and EHT observations

    gr-qc 2024-11 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    EHT shadow sizes and LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA inspiral waveforms allow only small values of the dimensionless regularity parameter ℓ in the Ghosh-Simpson-Visser regular black hole.

  4. A Space Mission to Earth's Nearest Black Hole: Reality or Science Fiction?

    gr-qc 2026-07 conditional novelty 4.0 of 10

    An interstellar nanocraft mission to a nearby black hole is technologically speculative but potentially feasible within decades and could deliver precision strong-field tests of General Relativity.

  5. Physics and Astrophysics of Black Holes with eXTP

    astro-ph.HE 2026-07 accept novelty 2.0 of 10

    eXTP’s larger effective area and simultaneous polarimetry will tighten black-hole spin and Kerr-deviation constraints relative to NICER for the same exposure.

  6. Stellar-Mass Black Holes

    astro-ph.HE 2025-07 conditional novelty 1.0 of 10

    A concise review of stellar-mass black hole physics and observations, plus a speculative interstellar mission concept.

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