A second black hole candidate in a M31 globular cluster is identified with XMM-Newton

作者：Barnard R^*; Kolb U

来源：Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2009, 397(1): L92-L95.

DOI：10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00691.x

• black hole physics
• galaxies: individual: M31
• X-rays: binaries
• X-rays: general

We use arguments developed in previous work to identify a second black hole candidate associated with an M31 globular cluster (GC), Bo 144, on the basis of X-ray spectral and timing properties. The 2002 XMM-Newton observation of the associated X-ray source (hereafter XBo 144) revealed behaviour that is common to all low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) in the low-hard state. Studies have shown that neutron star LMXBs exhibit this behaviour at 0.01-1000 keV luminosities <= 10 per cent of the Eddington limit (L(Edd)). However, the unabsorbed 0.3-10 keV luminosity of XBo 144 was similar to 0.30 L(Edd) for a 1.4 M(circle dot) neutron star, and the 0.01-1000 keV luminosity is expected to be greater than or similar to 3-7 times higher. We therefore identify XBo 144 as a black hole candidate. Furthermore, it is the second black hole candidate to be consistent with formation via tidal capture of a main sequence donor in a GC; such systems were previously thought non-existent, because the donor was thought to be disrupted during the capture process.

• 出版日期2009-7-21