X-ray Source M82 Research Articles

An accreting low magnetic field magnetar for the ultraluminous X-ray source in M82**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

One ultraluminous X-ray source in M82 has recently been identified as an accreting neutron star (named NuSTAR J095551+6940.8). It has a super-Eddington luminosity and is spinning up. An aged magnetar is more likely to be a low magnetic field magnetar. An accreting low magnetic field magnetar may explain both the super-Eddington luminosity and the rotational behavior of this source. Considering the effect of beaming, the spin-up rate is understandable using the traditional form of accretion torque. The transient nature and spectral properties of M82 X-2 are discussed. The theoretical range of periods for accreting magnetars is provided. Three observational appearances of accreting magnetars are summarized.

Origin of the X‐Ray Quasi‐periodic Oscillations and Identification of a Transient Ultraluminous X‐Ray Source in M82

The starburst galaxy M82 contains two ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), CXOM82 J095550.2+694047 (=X41.4+60) and CXOM82 J095551.1+694045 (=X42.3+59), which are unresolved by XMM-Newton. We revisited the two XMM-Newton observations of M82 and analyzed the surface brightness profiles using the known Chandra source positions. We show that the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) detected with XMM-Newton originate from X41.4+60, the brightest X-ray source in M82. Correcting for the contributions of the unresolved sources, the QPO at a frequency of 55.8 ± 1.3 mHz on 2001 May 6 had a fractional rms amplitude of 32%, and the QPO at 112.9 ± 1.3 mHz on 2004 April 21 had an amplitude of 21%. The QPO frequency may possibly be correlated with the source flux, similar to the type C QPOs in XTE 1550-564 and GRS 1915+105, but at luminosities 2 orders of magnitude higher. X42.3+59, the second-brightest source in M82, displayed a strikingly high flux of 1.4 × 10-11 ergs-1 cm-2 s-1 in the 2-10 keV band on 2001 May 6. A 7 year light curve of X42.3+59 shows extreme variability over a factor of 1000; the source is not detected in several Chandra observations. This transient behavior suggests accretion from an unstable disk. If the companion star is massive, as might be expected in the young stellar environment, then the compact object would likely be an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH).

A 62 Day X‐Ray Periodicity and an X‐Ray Flare from the Ultraluminous X‐Ray Source in M82

In 240 days of X-ray monitoring of M82, we have discovered an X-ray periodicity at 62.0 ? 2.5 days with a peak-to-peak amplitude corresponding to an isotropic luminosity of 2.4 ? 1040 ergs s-1 in M82 and an X-ray flare reaching a peak luminosity of 9.8 ? 1040 ergs s-1. The periodicity and flare likely originate from the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in M82, which has been identified as a possible intermediate-mass black hole. We suggest that the 62 day modulation is due to orbital motion within an X-ray binary with a Roche lobe overflowing companion star, which would imply that the average density of the companion star is near 5 ? 10-5 g cm-3 and is therefore a giant or supergiant. Chandra observations just after the flare show an energy spectrum that is consistent with a power law with no evidence of a thermal component or line emission. Radio observations made with the VLA during the flare allow us to rule out a blazar identification for the source and place strong constraints on relativistically beamed models of the X-ray emission. The Chandra observations reveal that a second X-ray source reached a flux of 4.4 ? 10-12 ergs cm-2 s-1 in the 0.3-7 keV band, which is dramatically higher than any flux previously seen from this source and corresponds to an isotropic luminosity of 1.1 ? 1040 ergs s-1. This source is a second ultraluminous X-ray source in M82 and may give rise to the QPOs detected from the central region of M82.

The ultraluminous X-ray source in M82: an intermediate-mass black hole with a giant companion

Abstract The starburst galaxy M82, at a distance of 12 million light years, is the host of an unusually bright 2.4-16 × 1040 erg s−1 X-ray point source, which is best explained by an accreting black hole 102 to 104 times more massive than the Sun. Though the strongest candidate for a so-called intermediate-mass black hole, the only support stems from the observed luminosity and the 0.05-0.1 Hz quasi-periodicity in its signal. Interestingly, the 7-12 Myr old star cluster MGG-11 which has been associated with the X-ray source is sufficiently dense that an intermediate mass black hole could have been produced in the cluster core via collision runaway. The recently discovered 62.0 ± 2.5 d periodicity in the X-ray source X-1 further supports the hypothesis that this source is powered by a black hole several hundred times more massive than the Sun. We perform detailed binary evolution simulations with an accreting compact object of 10-5000 M⊙ and find that the X-ray luminosity, the age of the cluster, the observed quasi-periodic oscillations and the now observed orbital period are explained best by a black hole of 200-5000 M⊙ that accretes material from a 22-25 M⊙ giant companion in a state of Roche-lobe contact. Interestingly, such a companion star is consistent with the expectation based on the tidal capture in a young and dense star cluster such as MGG-11, making the picture self-consistent.

The effect of gravitational recoil on black holes forming in a hierarchical universe

Galactic bulges are known to harbour central black holes whose mass is tightly correlated with the stellar mass and velocity dispersion of the bulge. In a hierarchical universe, galaxies are built up through successive mergers of subgalactic units, a process that is accompanied by the amalgamation of bulges and the likely coalescence of galactocentric black holes. In these mergers, the beaming of gravitational radiation during the plunge phase of the black hole collision can impart a linear momentum kick or ‘gravitational recoil’ to the remnant. If large enough, this kick will eject the remnant from the galaxy entirely, and populate intergalactic space with wandering black holes. Using a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, we investigate the effect of black hole ejections on the scatter of the relation between black hole and bulge mass. We find that while not being the dominant source of the measured scatter, they do provide a significant contribution and may be used to set a constraint, vkick≲ 500 km s−1, on the typical kick velocity, in agreement with values found from general relativistic calculations. Even for the more modest kick velocities implied by these calculations, we find that a substantial number of central black holes are ejected from the progenitors of present-day galaxies, giving rise to a population of wandering intrahalo and intergalactic black holes whose distribution we investigate in high-resolution N-body simulations of the Milk Way mass haloes. We find that intergalactic black holes make up only ∼2–3 per cent of the total galactic black hole mass but, within a halo, wandering black holes can contribute up to about half of the total black hole mass orbiting the central galaxy. Intrahalo black holes offer a natural explanation for the compact X-ray sources often seen near the centres of galaxies and for the hyperluminous non-central X-ray source in M82.

The Orbital Period of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source in M82

The ultraluminous x-ray source (ULX) in the galaxy M82 has been identified as a possible intermediate-mass black hole formed in stellar collisions in the super star cluster MGG 11. The x-ray flux from M82 is modulated, with a peak-to-peak amplitude corresponding to an isotropic luminosity of 2.4 _ 1040 erg s-1 in M82 and a period of 62.0 +/- 2.5 days, which we interpret as the orbital period of the ULX binary. This orbital period implies that the mass-donor star must be a giant or supergiant. Large mass-transfer rates, sufficient to fuel the ULX, are expected for a giant-phase mass donor in an x-ray binary. The giant phase has a short lifetime, indicating that we see the ULX in M82 in a brief and unusual period of its evolution.

Discovery of X-Ray Quasi-periodic Oscillations from an Ultraluminous X-Ray Source in M82: Evidence against Beaming

We report the discovery with the European Photon Imaging Camera CCDs on board XMM-Newton of a 54 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the greater than 2 keV X-ray flux from an ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in the starburst galaxy M82. This is the first detection of a QPO in the X-ray flux from an extragalactic ULX and confirms that the source is a compact object. On the basis of the QPO strength and previous Chandra observations, it appears likely that the QPO is associated with the most luminous object in the central region of M82, CXO M82 J095550.2+694047; however, XMM imaging alone is not sufficient to unambiguously confirm this. The other plausible candidate is CXO M82 J095551.1+694045; however, the QPO luminosity is comparable to the peak luminosity of this object in Chandra observations, which argues against it being the source of the QPO. The QPO had a centroid frequency of 54.3 ± 0.9 mHz, a coherence Q ≡ ν0/Δνfwhm ≈ 5, and an amplitude (rms) in the 2-10 keV band of 8.5%. Below 0.2 Hz, the power spectrum can be fitted by a power law with index ≈1 and amplitude (rms) of 13.5%. The X-ray spectrum requires a curving continuum, with a disk blackbody at T = 3.1 keV providing an acceptable fit. A broad Fe line centered at 6.55 keV is required in all fits, but the equivalent width is sensitive to the continuum model. There is no evidence of a reflection component. The implied bolometric luminosity is ≈ × 1040 ergs s-1. Archival Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer pointings at M82 also show evidence for QPOs in the 50-100 mHz frequency range. We discuss the implications of our findings for models of ULXs.

Is the Variable X-ray Source in M82 due to Gravitational Lensing?

We explore the possibility of attributing the recent discovery of the variable hard X-ray source CXO M82 J095550.2+694047 in M82 to the gravitational magnification by an intervening stellar object along the line of sight acting as a microlens. The duration of the event (> 84 days) allows us to set robust constraints on the mass and location of the microlensing object when combined with the dynamical properties of the Galactic halo, M82 and typical globular clusters. Except for the extremely low probability, the microlensing magnification by MACHO in either the Galactic halo or M82 halo is able to explain the X-ray variability of CXO M82 J095550.2+694047. It is hoped that the lensing hypothesis can be tested soon by measurement of the light curve.