The Ultraluminous x-ray source population from the Chandra archive of galaxies
May, 2004
22 pages
Published in:
- Astrophys.J.Suppl. 154 (2004) 519
e-Print:
- astro-ph/0405498 [astro-ph]
DOI:
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Abstract: (arXiv)
One hundred fifty-four discrete non-nuclear Ultra-Luminous X-ray (ULX) sources, with intrinsic X-ray luminosities >1e39 ergs/s, are identified in 82 galaxies observed with Chandra's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer. Source positions, X-ray luminosities, and spectral and timing characteristics are tabulated. Statistical comparisons between these X-ray properties and those of the weaker discrete sources in the same fields are made. Sources above ~1e38 erg/s display similar spatial, spectral, color, and variability distributions. In particular, there is no compelling evidence in the sample for a new and distinct class of X-ray object such as the intermediate-mass black holes. Comparison of the cumulative X-ray luminosity functions of the ULXs to Chandra Deep Field results suggests ~25% of the sources may be background objects including 14% of the ULX candidates in the sample of spiral galaxies and 44% of those in elliptical galaxies implying the elliptical galaxy ULX population is severely compromised by background active galactic nuclei. Correlations with host galaxy properties confirm the number and total X-ray luminosity of the ULXs are associated with recent star formation and with galaxy merging and interactions. The preponderance of ULXs in star-forming galaxies as well as their similarities to less-luminous sources suggest they originate in a young but short-lived population such as the high-mass X-ray binaries with a smaller contribution (based on spectral slope) from recent supernovae. The number of ULXs in elliptical galaxies scales with host galaxy mass and can be explained most simply as the high-luminosity end of the low-mass X-ray binary population.- X-RAY BINARIES
- X-RAY GALAXIES
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