X-ray observations of ultraluminous X-ray sources

Abstract

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are amongst the most intriguing of X-ray source classes. Their extreme luminosities - greater than 10^39 erg/s in the 0.3 - 10 keV band alone - suggest either the presence of black holes larger than those regularly encountered in our own Galaxy (the Galactic centre excepted), or sources apparently radiating well above the Eddington limit. We review the insights afforded us by studies of their X-ray emission, focussing on what this reveals about the underlying compact object. In particular, we discuss recent deep observations of ULXs by the XMM-Newton observatory, and how the unprecedented data quality provided by this mission is starting to discriminate between the different physical models for these extraordinary X-ray emitters.

Invited talk at the 5th Stromlo Symposium. 10 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science

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• The Eclipsing ULX in NGC 3379
• On the artificial nature of aperiodic variability in XMM-Newton observations of M31 X-ray sources and the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 4559 ULX-7
• A Comparison of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in NGC 1399 and the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039)
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Cited by in corpus (134)

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• Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in the Chandra and XMM-Newton Era
• The ultraluminous state revisited: fractional variability and spectral shape as diagnostics of super-Eddington accretion
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• The ultraluminous X-ray sources NGC 1313 X-1 and X-2: a broadband study with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
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• 2XMM Ultraluminous X-Ray Source Candidates in Nearby Galaxies
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• X-ray Variability and Hardness of ESO 243-49 HLX-1: Clear Evidence for Spectral State Transitions
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• From ultraluminous X-ray sources to ultraluminous supersoft sources: NGC 55 ULX, the missing link
• Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Sources in the Most Metal Poor Galaxies
• Challenging times: a re-analysis of NGC 5408 X-1
• Broad absorption features in wind-dominated ULXs?
• Broadband X-ray Spectra of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1 observed with NuSTAR, XMM-Newton and Suzaku
• The ultra luminous X-ray source NuSTAR J095551+6940.8: A magnetar in a high mass X-ray binary
• A Systematic Study of Variability in a Sample of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources
• RE J1034+396: The origin of the soft X-ray excess and QPO
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• An Extremely Luminous and Variable Ultraluminous X-ray Source in the Outskirts of Circinus Observed with NuSTAR
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• Optical counterparts of the nearest ultraluminous X-ray sources
• The Broadband XMM-Newton and NuSTAR X-ray Spectra of Two Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in the Galaxy IC 342
• First evidence for spectral state transitions in the ESO243-49 hyper luminous X-ray source HLX-1
• The ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 1313 X-2 - Its optical counterpart and environment
• The origin of variability of the intermediate-mass black-hole ULX system HLX-1 in ESO 243-49
• An ultraluminous nascent millisecond pulsar
• The missing link: a low mass X-ray binary in M31 seen as an ultraluminous X-ray source
• Testing the Paradigm that Ultraluminous X-ray Sources as a Class Represent Accreting Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
• X-ray spectral evolution in M33 X-8
• A Redshift for the Intermediate Mass Black Hole Candidate HLX-1: Confirmation of its Association with the Galaxy ESO 243-49
• The Birth of an Ultra-Luminous X-ray Source in M83
• Discovery of an optical counterpart to the hyperluminous X-ray source in ESO 243-49
• NuSTAR, XMM-Newton and Suzaku Observations of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg II X-1
• X-ray spectral variability in the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1
• Signature of an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Central Molecular Zone of Our Galaxy
• Optical Properties of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1 and its Stellar Environment
• NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of the extreme ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 5907 ULX1: A Vanishing Act
• Radio observations of extreme ULXs: revealing the most powerful ULX radio nebula ever or the jet of an intermediate-mass black hole?
• X-ray Outflows and Super-Eddington Accretion in the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1
• A Population of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources with An Accreting Neutron Star
• Ultra Luminous X-ray Sources: a deeper insight into their spectral evolution
• A Hard X-Ray Study of Ultraluminous X-ray Source NGC 5204 X-1 with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
• The X-ray spectral evolution of the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1
• (No) dynamical constraints on the mass of the black hole in two ULXs
• X-ray reflection in a sample of X-ray bright Ultraluminous X-ray sources
• Searching for the trigger of the AGN QPO: 8 years of RE J1034+396
• Time lags in the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 5408 X-1: implications for the black hole mass
• Revisiting the ultraluminous supersoft source in M101: an optically thick outflow model
• Implications of the delayed 2013 outburst of the ESO 243-49 HLX-1
• X-ray spectral state is not correlated with luminosity in Holmberg II X-1
• Intermediate-mass black holes and ultraluminous X-ray sources in the Cartwheel ring galaxy
• Evidences of the supercritical disc funnel radiation in X-ray spectra of SS 433
• A bright ultraluminous X-ray source in NGC 5907
• The First Detection of [O IV] from an Ultraluminous X-ray Source with Spitzer. II. Evidence for High Luminosity in Holmberg II ULX
• The XMM-Newton long look of NGC 1365: lack of a high/soft state in its ultraluminous X-ray sources
• A variable ULX and possible IMBH candidate in M51a
• Hot and Cold Galactic Gas in the NGC 2563 Galaxy Group
• Comparing Spectral Models for ULXs with NGC 4517 ULX1
• Searching for Massive Outflows in Holmberg IX X-1 and NGC 1313 X-1: The Iron K Band
• Investigating ULX accretion flows and cyclotron resonance in NGC 300 ULX1
• The ultraluminous X-ray source population of NGC 4485/4490
• Searching for intermediate-mass black holes in globular clusters with gravitational microlensing
• NuSTAR and Chandra Insight into the Nature of the 3-40 keV Nuclear Emission in NGC 253
• The scaling of X-ray variability with luminosity in Ultra-luminous X-ray sources
• A deficit of ultraluminous X-ray sources in luminous infrared galaxies
• A new Ultraluminous X-ray source in the galaxy NGC 5907
• Optically Thick Outflows of Supercritical Accretion Discs: Radiative Diffusion Approach
• Ultraluminous X-ray sources with flat-topped noise and QPO
• Associated Spectral and Temporal State Transition of the bright ULX NGC1313 X-1
• The slim-disk state of the ultraluminous X-ray source in M83
• Discovery of a Quasi-Periodic Oscillation in the Ultraluminous X-ray Source IC 342 X-1: XMM-Newton Results
• Dynamics of massive stellar black holes in young star clusters and the displacement of ultra-luminous X-ray sources
• A variable ultraluminous X-ray source in a globular cluster in NGC 4649
• Hard and soft spectral states of ULXs
• A long hard-X-ray look at the dual active galactic nuclei of M51 with NuSTAR
• The Rapidly Spinning Intermediate-Mass Black Hole 3XMM J150052.0+015452
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• Paving the way to simultaneous multi-wavelength astronomy
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• Transition of an X-ray binary to the hard ultraluminous state in the blue compact dwarf galaxy VII Zw 403
• The two Ultraluminous X-ray sources in the galaxy NGC 925
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• X-ray variability and energy spectra from NGC5408 X-1 with XMM-Newton
• The second ULX transient in M31: Chandra, HST and XMM observations, and evidence for an extended corona
• The efficient low-mass Seyfert MCG-05-23-016
• A comparative analysis of standard accretion disks spectra: an application to Ultraluminous X-ray Sources
• The fading of two transient ULXs to below the stellar mass Eddington limit
• On the magnetic field of the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar M82 X-2
• Spectral state transitions in Circinus ULX5
• Investigating the nature of the ultraluminous X-ray sources in the galaxy NGC 925
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• A Large Catalogue of Ultraluminous X-ray Source Candidates in Nearby Galaxies
• Long-Term X-Ray/UV Variability in ULXs
• On the Black Hole Masses In Ultra-luminous X-ray Sources
• Black Hole Mass Limits for Optically Dark X-ray Bright Sources in Elliptical Galaxies
• Optical Counterparts of Two Candidate Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in NGC 4536
• A Study of Spectral Variability between flaring and non-flaring state in M74 X-1
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