In this paper we report on Expanded Very Large Array radio and Chandra and Swift X–ray observations of the outburst decay of the transient black hole candidate MAXI J1659–152 in 2011 .
We discuss the distance to the source taking the high inclination into account and we conclude that the source distance is probably 6 \pm 2 kpc .
The lowest observed flux corresponds to a luminosity of 2 \times 10 ^ { 31 } ( \frac { { d } } { 6 { kpc } } ) ^ { 2 } erg s ^ { -1 } .
This , together with the orbital period of 2.4 hr reported in the literature , suggests that the quiescent X–ray luminosity is higher than predicted on the basis of the orbital period – quiescent X–ray luminosity relationship .
It is more in line with that expected for a neutron star , although the outburst spectral and timing properties reported in the literature strongly suggest that MAXI J1659–152 harbors a black hole .
This conclusion is subject to confirmation of the lowest observed flux as the quiescent flux .
The relation between the accretion and ejection mechanisms can be studied using the observed correlation between the radio and X–ray luminosities as these evolve over an outburst .
We determine the behaviour of MAXI J1659–152 in the radio – X–ray diagram at low X–ray luminosities using the observations reported in this paper and at high X–ray luminosities using values reported in the literature .
At high X-ray luminosities the source lies closer to the sources that follow a correlation index steeper than 0.6–0.7 .
However , when compared to other sources that follow a steeper correlation index , the X–ray luminosity in MAXI J1659–152 is also lower .
The latter can potentially be explained by the high inclination of MAXI J1659–152 if the X–ray emission comes from close to the source and the radio emission is originating in a more extended region .
However , it is probable that the source was not in the canonical low–hard state during these radio observations and this may affect the behaviour of the source as well .
At intermediate X–ray luminosities the source makes the transition from the radio underluminous sources in the direction of the relation traced by the ’ standard ’ correlation similar to what has been reported for H 1743–322 in the literature .
However , MAXI J1659–152 remains underluminous with respect to this ’ standard ’ correlation .