Around 200 new X-ray binary IDs from 13 YR of Chandra observations of the M31 center
Abstract
We have created 0.3-10 keV, 13 yr, unabsorbed luminosity lightcurves for 528 X-ray sources in the central 20' of M31. We have 174 Chandra observations spaced at ∼1 month intervals due to our transient monitoring program, deeper observations of the M31 nucleus, and some public data from other surveys. We created 0.5-4.5 keV structure functions (SFs) for each source for comparison with the ensemble SF of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We find 220 X-ray sources with luminosities ≳10{sup 35} erg s{sup –1} that have SFs with significantly more variability than the ensemble AGN SF, and which are likely X-ray binaries (XBs). A further 30 X-ray sources were identified as XBs using other methods. We therefore have 250 probable XBs in total, including ∼200 new identifications. This result represents great progress over the ∼50 XBs and ∼40 XB candidates previously identified out of the ∼2000 X-ray sources within the D {sub 25} region of M31; it also demonstrates the power of SF analysis for identifying XBs in external galaxies. We also identify a new transient black hole candidate, associated with the M31 globular cluster B128.
- Authors:
-
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)
- Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States)
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 22348298
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Astrophysical Journal
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 780; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BLACK HOLES; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES; DATA ANALYSIS; GALAXIES; GALAXY NUCLEI; KEV RANGE; LUMINOSITY; MONITORING; NUCLEI; SPACE; STARS; STRUCTURE FUNCTIONS; SULFUR IONS; TRANSIENTS; X RADIATION
Citation Formats
Barnard, R., Garcia, M. R., Primini, F., Li, Z., Baganoff, F. K., and Murray, S. S. Around 200 new X-ray binary IDs from 13 YR of Chandra observations of the M31 center. United States: N. p., 2014.
Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/83.
Barnard, R., Garcia, M. R., Primini, F., Li, Z., Baganoff, F. K., & Murray, S. S. Around 200 new X-ray binary IDs from 13 YR of Chandra observations of the M31 center. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/83
Barnard, R., Garcia, M. R., Primini, F., Li, Z., Baganoff, F. K., and Murray, S. S. 2014.
"Around 200 new X-ray binary IDs from 13 YR of Chandra observations of the M31 center". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/83.
@article{osti_22348298,
title = {Around 200 new X-ray binary IDs from 13 YR of Chandra observations of the M31 center},
author = {Barnard, R. and Garcia, M. R. and Primini, F. and Li, Z. and Baganoff, F. K. and Murray, S. S.},
abstractNote = {We have created 0.3-10 keV, 13 yr, unabsorbed luminosity lightcurves for 528 X-ray sources in the central 20' of M31. We have 174 Chandra observations spaced at ∼1 month intervals due to our transient monitoring program, deeper observations of the M31 nucleus, and some public data from other surveys. We created 0.5-4.5 keV structure functions (SFs) for each source for comparison with the ensemble SF of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We find 220 X-ray sources with luminosities ≳10{sup 35} erg s{sup –1} that have SFs with significantly more variability than the ensemble AGN SF, and which are likely X-ray binaries (XBs). A further 30 X-ray sources were identified as XBs using other methods. We therefore have 250 probable XBs in total, including ∼200 new identifications. This result represents great progress over the ∼50 XBs and ∼40 XB candidates previously identified out of the ∼2000 X-ray sources within the D {sub 25} region of M31; it also demonstrates the power of SF analysis for identifying XBs in external galaxies. We also identify a new transient black hole candidate, associated with the M31 globular cluster B128.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/83},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22348298},
journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 780,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}