Probing spectral variability in NGC 4490 ULX-8 over 24 years of XMM-Newton, Chandra and Swift-XRT observations

Abstract

We present a spectral variability study of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 4490 ULX-8 based on 14 Chandra, 6 XMM-Newton and 19 Swift-XRT observations obtained between 2000 and 2024. The X-ray spectra are modelled using absorbed power-law and absorbed multicolour disc blackbody models. The best-fit photon indices span 0.9-2.7, while the inferred inner disc temperatures lie in the range 1.0-1.6 keV. We detect pronounced long-term variability in the unabsorbed X-ray luminosity on multi-year timescales, while variability within individual observations is comparatively modest. A Hardness-Intensity Diagram of the source shows no clear transition between hard and soft states; however, two recent observations taken on 2022 December 1 and 2024 May 4 show a sharp increase in brightness. The spectra across all observations are dominated by smooth, single-component curvature in the 0.3-10 keV band, consistent with the broadened-disc regime of ultraluminous X-ray sources. A correlation analysis reveals a weak positive X-ray luminosity-photon index trend that remains statistically supported after controlling for related degeneracies, indicating that it is not driven solely by fitting covariance. The luminosity-inner disc temperature relation is only weakly constrained, but remains compatible, within uncertainties, with both thin-disc and slim-disc scalings. Using disc parameters derived from higher-quality XMM-Newton spectra, we obtain model-dependent estimates of the characteristic inner disc radius and compact-object mass as functions of inclination and spin. The reported results are consistent with a stellar-mass black hole accretor operating at or near the Eddington limit.

Accepted by MNRAS

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