| ABSTRACT
We perform the most detailed analysis to date of the X-ray state of the Galactic black hole candidate
GRS 1915+105 just prior to (0 to 4 hours) and during the brief (1 to 7 hour) ejection of major
(superluminal) radio flares. A very strong model independent correlation is found between the 1.2
keV - 12 keV X-ray flux 0 to 4 hours before flare ejections with the peak optically thin 2.3 GHz
emission of the flares. This suggests a direct physical connection between the energy in the ejection
and the luminosity of the accretion flow preceding the ejection. In order to quantify this concept,
we develop techniques to estimate the intrinsic (unabsorbed) X-ray luminosity, Lintrinsic, from RXTE
ASM data and to implement known methods to estimate the time averaged power required to launch
the radio emitting plasmoids, Q (sometimes called jet power). We find that the distribution of intrinsic
luminosity from 1.2 keV - 50 keV, Lintrinsic(1.2 - 50), is systematically elevated just before ejections
compared to arbitrary times when there are no major ejections. The estimated Q is strongly correlated
with Lintrinsic(1.2-50) 0 to 4 hours before the ejection, the increase in Lintrinsic(1.2-50) in the hours
preceding the ejection and the time averaged Lintrinsic(1.2 - 50) during the flare rise. Furthermore,
the total time averaged power during the ejection (Q + the time average of Lintrinsic(1.2 -50) during
ejection) is strongly correlated with Lintrinsic(1.2 - 50) just before launch with near equality if the
distance to the source is ˜ 10.5 kpc. |
