THE NATURE OF THE UV/OPTICAL EMISSION OF THE ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCE IN HOLMBERG II
- Department of Engineering Physics and Center for Astrophysics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242 (United States)
We report on UV and X-ray spectroscopy and broadband optical observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source in Holmberg II. Fitting various stellar spectral models to the combined, non-simultaneous data set, we find that normal metallicity stellar spectra are ruled out by the data, while low-metallicity, Z = 0.1 Z{sub Sun }, late O-star spectra provide marginally acceptable fits, if we allow for the fact that X-ray ionization from the compact object may reduce or eliminate UV absorption/emission lines from the stellar wind. By contrast, an irradiated disk model fits both UV and optical data with {chi}{sup 2}/dof = 175.9/178, and matches the nebular extinction with a reddening of E(B - V) = 0.05{sup +0.05}{sub -0.04}. These results suggest that the UV/optical flux of Holmberg II X-1 may be dominated by X-ray irradiated disk emission.
- OSTI ID:
- 22034527
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 750, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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