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We present a high time resolution, multifrequency linear polarization analysis of very large array (VLA) radio observations during some of the brightest radio flaring (⁠|${\sim } 1 \,{\rm Jy}\,$|⁠) activity of the 2015 outburst of V404 Cygni. The VLA simultaneously captured the radio evolution in two bands (each with two 1 GHz base-bands), recorded at 5/7 GHz and 21/26 GHz , allowing for a broadband polarimetric analysis. Given the source's high flux densities, we were able to measure polarization on time-scales of |${\sim }13\,$| min, constituting one of the highest temporal resolution radio polarimetric studies of a black hole X-ray binary outburst to date. Across all base-bands, we detect variable, weakly linearly polarized emission (⁠|${\lt } 1{{ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠) with a single, bright peak in the time-resolved polarization fraction, consistent with an origin in an evolving, dynamic jet component. We applied two independent polarimetric methods to extract the intrinsic electric vector position angles and rotation measures from the 5 and 7 GHz base-band data and detected a variable intrinsic polarization angle, indicative of a rapidly evolving local environment or a complex magnetic field geometry. Comparisons to the simultaneous, spatially-resolved observations taken with the Very Long Baseline Array at 15.6 GHz , do not show a significant connection between the jet ejections and the polarization state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present multifrequency monitoring observations of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cygni throughout its 2015 June outburst. Our data set includes radio and mm/sub-mm photometry, taken with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, Arc-Minute MicroKelvin Imager Large Array, Sub-millimeter Array, James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, and the Northern Extended Millimetre Array, combined with publicly available infrared, optical, UV, and X-ray measurements. With these data, we report detailed diagnostics of the spectral and variability properties of the jet emission observed during different stages of this outburst. These diagnostics show that emission from discrete jet ejecta dominated the jet emission during the brightest stages of the outburst. We find that the ejecta became fainter, slower, less frequent, and less energetic, before the emission transitioned (over 1–2 d) to being dominated by a compact jet, as the outburst decayed towards quiescence. While the broad-band spectrum of this compact jet showed very little evolution throughout the outburst decay (with the optically thick to thin synchrotron jet spectral break residing in the near-infrared/optical bands; ∼2–5 × 1014 Hz), the emission still remained intermittently variable at mm/sub-mm frequencies. Additionally, we present a comparison between the radio jet emission throughout the 2015 and previous 1989 outbursts, confirming that the radio emission in the 2015 outburst decayed significantly faster than in 1989. Lastly, we detail our sub-mm observations taken during the 2015 December mini-outburst of V404 Cygni, which demonstrate that, similar to the main outburst, the source was likely launching jet ejecta during this short period of renewed activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black hole X-ray binaries undergo occasional outbursts caused by changing inner accretion flows. Here we report high angular resolution radio observations of the 2013 outburst of the black hole candidate X-ray binary system XTE J1908+094, using data from the Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network. We show that following a hard-to-soft state transition, we detect moving jet knots that appear asymmetric in morphology and brightness, and expand to become laterally resolved as they move away from the core, along an axis aligned approximately -11° east of north. We initially see only the southern component, whose evolution gives rise to a 15-mJy radio flare and generates the observed radio polarization. This fades and becomes resolved out after 4 days, after which a second component appears to the north, moving in the opposite direction. From the timing of the appearance of the knots relative to the X-ray state transition, a 90° swing of the inferred magnetic field orientation, the asymmetric appearance of the knots, their complex and evolving morphology, and their low speeds, we interpret the knots as working surfaces where the jets impact the surrounding medium. This would imply a substantially denser environment surrounding XTE J1908+094 than has been inferred to exist around the microquasar sources GRS 1915+105 and GRO J1655-40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on radio (Very Large Array and Austrialian Telescope Compact Array) and X-ray ( RXTE, Chandra and Swift) observations of the outburst decay of the transient black hole candidate H 1743-322 in early 2008. We find that the X-ray light curve followed an exponential decay, levelling off towards its quiescent level. The exponential decay time-scale is 4 days and the quiescent flux corresponds to a luminosity of erg s−1. This together with the relation between quiescent X-ray luminosity and orbital period reported in the literature suggests that H 1743-322 has an orbital period longer than ≈10 h. Both the radio and X-ray light curve show evidence for flares. The radio–X-ray correlation can be well described by a power-law with index 0.18. This is much lower than the index of 0.6–0.7 found for the decay of several black hole transients before. The radio spectral index measured during one of the radio flares while the source is in the low–hard state is , which indicates that the radio emission is optically thin. This is unlike what has been found before in black hole sources in the low–hard state. We attribute the radio flares and the low index for the radio–X-ray correlation to the presence of shocks downstream the jet flow, triggered by ejection events earlier in the outburst. We find no evidence for a change in X-ray power-law spectral index during the decay, although the relatively high extinction of limits the detected number of soft photons and thus the accuracy of the spectral fits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using new and archival radio data, we have measured the proper motion of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg to be . Combined with the systemic radial velocity from the literature, we derive the full three-dimensional heliocentric space velocity of the system, which we use to calculate a peculiar velocity in the range 47–102 km s−1, with a best-fitting value of 64 km s−1. We consider possible explanations for the observed peculiar velocity and find that the black hole cannot have formed via direct collapse. A natal supernova is required, in which either significant mass was lost, giving rise to a symmetric Blaauw kick of up to ∼65 km s−1, or, more probably, asymmetries in the supernova led to an additional kick out of the orbital plane of the binary system. In the case of a purely symmetric kick, the black hole must have been formed with a mass , since when it has accreted from its companion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg with the very long baseline interferometer the High Sensitivity Array (HSA) have detected the source at a frequency of 8.4 GHz, providing a source position accurate to 0.3 mas relative to the calibrator source. The observations put an upper limit of 1.3 mas on the source size (5.2 au at 4 kpc) and a lower limit of K on its brightness temperature during the normal quiescent state, implying that the radio emission must be non-thermal, most probably synchrotron radiation, possibly from a jet. The radio light curves show a short flare, with a rise time of ∼30 min, confirming that the source remains active in the quiescent state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a clear discrepancy in the proper motions measured on different angular scales in the approaching radio jets of the black hole X-ray binary GRS 1915+105. Lower velocities were measured with the Very Large Array (VLA) prior to 1996 than were subsequently found from higher resolution observations made with the Very Long Baseline Array and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network. We initiated an observing campaign to use all three arrays to attempt to track the motion of the jet knots from the 2006 February outburst of the source, giving us unprecedented simultaneous coverage of all angular scales, from milliarcsecond scales out to arcsecond scales. The derived proper motion, which was dominated by the VLA measurements, was found to be 17.0 mas d−1, demonstrating that there has been no significant permanent change in the properties of the jets since 1994. We find no conclusive evidence for deceleration of the jet knots, unless this occurs within 70 mas of the core. We discuss possible causes for the varying proper motions recorded in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]