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J. Finke, M. Boettcher (Ohio University)
We present first modeling results of the rapid spectral variability of flares in the X-ray binary Cygnus X-1 in the high/soft state. The coupled radiation transfer and electron heating/cooling problem was solved with a fully time-dependent 2-D Monte-Carlo/Fokker-Planck code. Starting with an initial soft state model consisting of an optically thick accretion disk sandwiched by a hot corona, we modeled a high energy flare through an impulsive energy release in that corona. This flare could be representative of a reconnection event of magnetic field lines anchored in the disk. We found that such a scenario provides a good fit to the rapid (millisecond timescales) spectral evolution recently observed in Cyg X-1.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.