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Transition to the disk dominant state of a new ultraluminous X-ray source in M82
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Transition to the disk dominant state of a new ultraluminous X-ray source in M82

Jing Jin, Hua Feng and Philip Kaaret
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.716(1), pp.181-186
05/04/2010
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/716/1/181
url
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/716/1/181View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Astrophysical Journal 716 (2010) 181-186 We report on the identification of a third, new ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in the starburst galaxy M82. Previously, the source was observed at fluxes consistent with the high state of Galactic black hole binaries (BHBs). We observe fluxes up to (6.5 +/- 0.3)E39 ergs/s in the ultraluminous regime. When the source is not in the the low/hard state, spectral fitting using a multicolor disk model shows that the disk luminosity varies as the disk inner temperature raised to the power 4.8 +/- 0.9, consistent with the behavior of Galactic BHBs in the thermal dominant state. Fitting the spectrum with a multicolor disk model with general relativistic corrections suggests that the source harbors a rapidly spinning black hole with a mass less than 100 solar masses. A soft excess was found in the source spectrum that could be blackbody emission from a photosphere created by a massive outflow. The source also showed soft dips during a flare.
Physics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

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