Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · astro-ph/0102065

Spectral variability of Ultra Luminous Compact X-ray Sources in Nearby Spiral Galaxies

T. Mizuno·A. Kubota·K. Makishima
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Using the X-ray data taken with ASCA, a detailed analysis was made of intensity and spectral variations of three ultra-luminous extra-galactic compact X-ray sources (ULXs); IC 342 source 1, M81 X-6, and NGC 1313 source B, all exhibiting X-ray luminosity in the range 10^{39}-1.5x10^{40} erg s^{-1}. As already reported, IC 342 source 1 showed short-term X-ray intensity variability by a factor of 2.0 on a typical time scale of 10 ks. M81 X-6 varied by a factor of 1.6 across seven observations spanning 3 years, while NGC 1313 source B varied by a factor of 2.5 between two observations conducted in 1993 July and 1995 November. The ASCA spectra of these sources, acquired on these occasions, were all described successfully as optically-thick emission from standard accretion disks around black holes. This confirms previous ASCA works which explained ULXs as mass-accreting massive black-hole binaries. In all three sources, the disk color temperature was uncomfortably high at T_{in}=1.0-2.0 keV, and was found to vary in proportion to the square-root of the source flux. The apparent accretion-disk radius is hence inferred to change as inversely proportional to T_{in}. This suggests a significant effect of advection in the accretion disk. However, even taking this effect fully into account, the too high values of T_{in} of ULXs cannot be explained. Further invoking the rapid black-hole rotation may give a solution to this issue.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

T. Mizuno, A. Kubota, K. Makishima. 2001-02-05. Spectral variability of Ultra Luminous Compact X-ray Sources in Nearby Spiral Galaxies. https://doi.org/10.1086/321418

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Frame covariance of CMBR lensing in the exact 1+3 covariant radiation hierarchy

The exact $1+3$ covariant Boltzmann hierarchy for the cosmic microwave background contains acceleration, shear and vorticity couplings whose coefficients grow linearly in $\ell$. We show that all are the multipole form of the aberration operator in the photon Liouville equation. Under a change of threading, this operator shifts by the along-ray generator of a Lorentz boost. The acceleration coupling of $\ell$ to $\ell\pm1$ and the shear coupling of $\ell$ to $\ell\pm2$ are therefore frame-covariant descriptions of the same operator, related by an algebraic, pointwise relabelling of direction. With emitter and observer frames fixed, the observed sky is independent of the intermediate threading at every $\ell$. We derive this in $1+3$ covariant and gauge-invariant variables without constructing second-order gauge-invariant variables. The $O(ε^2\ell)$ content is gravitational lensing, as known in metric variables. Linearisation about a Friedmann--Lemaître--Robertson--Walker background removes these couplings, requiring lensing to be reinstated from the geodesic equation. Keeping the threading arbitrary makes frame covariance explicit and places observer aberration in the same operator. In the Newtonian threading we compute both halves of the deflection: the equivalence-principle contribution enters through aberration, while the spatial-curvature contribution arises from free streaming on perturbed spatial sections and reduces to the same operator. The lensing efficiency follows from the direction derivative. The angular-power-spectrum contribution is quartic in the potential: for a deflection statistically independent of the source, the two fourth-order terms carrying $\ell^2$ cancel where the spectrum is smooth on the deflection scale, and lensing redistributes power without adding ensemble variance.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2026

Cosmic Conundrums with Quantum Corrections

Darh energy was discovered over 25 years ago and we do not have an explanation of it. Dark matter comprises 95% of matter in the universe and we still don't know what it is. The Webb telescope has been finding fully formed galaxies with massive black holes millions of times the mass of the sun in the early universe and we don't have any explanation. A quantum density limitation will be used to solve these and other outstanding problems.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2026

On binary pulsars and the force of gravity

The energy-momentum budget of the astrophysical systems can be studied by the exact local conservation equation derived by Landau and Lifshitz. We show that a similar equation is valid for the Einstein-Cartan gravity. We reanalyze a binary pulsar system using the Landau-Lifshitz conservation equation and show that the orbital period change rate can be completely understood as a curvature backreaction process. Taking into account the detailed theoretical and observational research of relativistic binary pulsar systems, especially the system of Hulse and Taylor, we conclude that general relativity and astrophysical observations rule out the existence of gravitational radiation. We comment upon the LIGO GW events and their alternative explanation, as well as the recent pulsar timing arrays data.

astro-ph↗