The supercritical accretion disk in SS 433 and ultraluminous X-ray sources

Abstract

SS 433 is the only known persistent supercritical accretor, it may be very important for understanding ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) located in external galaxies. We describe main properties of the SS 433 supercritical accretion disk and jets. Basing on observational data of SS 433 and published 2D simulations of supercritical accretion disks we estimate parameters of the funnel in the disk/wind of SS 433. We argue that the UV radiation of the SS 433 disk ( 50000 K, 1040 erg/s) is roughly isotropic, but X-ray radiation ( 107 K, 1040 erg/s) of the funnel is mildly anisotropic. A face-on SS 433 object has to be ultraluminous in X-rays (104041 erg/s). Typical time-scales of the funnel flux variability are estimated. Shallow and very broad (0.1-0.3c) and blue-shifted absorption lines are expected in the funnel X-ray spectrum. © 2007 International Astronomical Union.