Multi-epoch spectroscopy of the globular cluster black hole in NGC 4472

Abstract

We present a study of the X-ray spectral properties of the highly variable X-ray emitting black hole in a globular cluster in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. The XMM-Newton spectrum of the source in its bright epoch is well described by a multiple blackbody model with a characteristic temperature $k{T}_{in}\approx$ 0.2 keV. The spectrum of an archival Chandra observation of the source obtained 3.5 years before the XMM data gives similar estimates for the blackbody parameters. We confirm that the fainter interval of the XMM-Newton observation has a spectrum that is consistent with the brighter epoch, except for an additional level of foreground absorption. We also consider other possible mechanisms for the variability. Based on the timescale of the X-ray flux decline and the estimated size of the X-ray emission region we argue that an eclipsing companion is highly unlikely. We find the most likely means of producing the absorption changes on the observed timescale is through partial obscuration by a precessing warped accretion disk.

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in MNRAS

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• X-ray Variability from the Ultraluminous Black Hole Candidate X-ray Binary in the Globular Cluster RZ 2109
• Composition of an Emission Line System in Black Hole Host Globular Cluster RZ2109
• Velocity Structure and Variability of [O III] Emission in Black Hole Host Globular Cluster RZ2109
• Slow Decline and Rise of the Broad [OIII] Emission Line in Globular Cluster Black Hole Candidate RZ2109
• Deep $Chandra$ observations of the NGC 4472 globular cluster black hole XMMU 122939.7+075333: Short term variability from the first globular cluster black hole binary
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