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Title: SPITZER IRAC OBSERVATIONS OF IR EXCESS IN HOLMBERG IX X-1: A CIRCUMBINARY DISK OR A VARIABLE JET?

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO), 3450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20392 (United States)
  2. Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)
  3. Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l’Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France)
  4. George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States)
  5. St. John’s College, 60 College Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401 (United States)

We present Spitzer Infrared Array Camera photometric observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX, X-1) in Holmberg IX. We construct a spectral energy distribution (SED) for Holmberg IX X-1 based on published optical, UV, and X-ray data combined with the IR data from this analysis. We modeled the X-ray and optical data with disk and stellar models; however, we find a clear IR excess in the ULX SED that cannot be explained by fits or extrapolations of any of these models. Instead, further analysis suggests that the IR excess results from dust emission, possibly a circumbinary disk, or a variable jet.

OSTI ID:
22667255
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 831, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English