An Optical Study of Stellar and Interstellar Environments of Seven Luminous and Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources

Abstract

We have studied the stellar and interstellar environments of two luminous X-ray sources and five ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in order to gain insight into their nature. Archival Hubble Space Telescope images were used to identify the optical counterparts of the ULXs Ho IX X-1 and NGC 1313 X-2, and to make photometric measurements of the local stellar populations of these and the luminous source IC 10 X-1. We obtained high-dispersion spectroscopic observations of the nebulae around these seven sources to search for He II lambda-4686 emission and to estimate the expansion velocities and kinetic energies of these nebulae. Our observations did not detect nebular He II emission from any source, with the exception of LMC X-1; this is either because we missed the He III regions or because the nebulae are too diffuse to produce He II surface brightnesses that lie within our detection limit. We compare the observed ionization and kinematics of the supershells around the ULXs Ho IX X-1 and NGC 1313 X-2 with the energy feedback expected from the underlying stellar population to assess whether additional energy contributions from the ULXs are needed. In both cases, we find insufficient UV fluxes or mechanical energies from the stellar population; thus these ULXs may be partially responsible for the ionization and energetics of their supershells. All seven sources we studied are in young stellar environments and six of them have optical counterparts with masses >~7 M_sun; thus, these sources are most likely high-mass X-ray binaries.

30 pages, 9 figures. Numerous minor revisions, primarily to more accurately cite earlier work by Pakull and Mirioni, and to correct typographical errors. Removed a misleading sentence in the Introduction (re: X-ray photoionization by ULXs). Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Figures have been reduced in resolution for space requirements; full-resolution figures may be requested by email to [email protected]

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• Optical emission from massive donors in ULX binary systems
• Optical Properties of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1 and its Stellar Environment
• Optical studies of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC1313 X-2
• (No) dynamical constraints on the mass of the black hole in two ULXs
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• Large Highly-Ionized Nebulae Around Ultra-luminous X-ray Sources
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• The XMM-Newton long look of NGC 1365: lack of a high/soft state in its ultraluminous X-ray sources
• Roche-lobe overflow systems powered by black holes in young star clusters: the importance of dynamical exchanges
• Spectroscopic study of the N159/N160 complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud
• The Properties and Redshift Evolution of Intermediate-Luminosity Off-Nuclear X-ray Sources in the Chandra Deep Fields
• Stellar feedback from HMXBs in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations
• MUSE spectroscopy of the ULX NGC 1313 X-1: a shock-ionised bubble, an X-ray photoionised nebula, and two supernova remnants
• Uncovering Red and Dusty Ultraluminous X-ray Sources with Spitzer
• NIR Counterparts to ULXs (III): Completing the photometric survey and selected spectroscopic results
• The ultraluminous X-ray source bubble in NGC 5585
• Modelling optical emission of Ultra-luminous X-ray Sources accreting above the Eddington limit
• The Local Environment of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources Viewed by XMM Newton's Optical Monitor
• Dynamical mass constraints on the ultraluminous X-ray Source NGC 1313 X-2
• Detection of a Radio Bubble around the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1
• Toward a Clean Sample of Ultra-Luminous X-ray Sources
• Ionization Cone in the X-ray Binary LMC X-1
• Super-Eddington Accretion in the Ultraluminous X-ray Source NGC1313 X-2: An Ephemeral Feast
• The Diffuse and Compact X-ray Components of the Starburst Galaxy Henize~2-10
• Searching for the orbital period of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 1313 X-2
• New observations of ULX supershells, and their implications
• Spectacular Trailing Streamers near LMC X-1: The First Evidence of a Jet?
• Optical and X-ray luminosity of expanding nebulae around ultraluminous X-ray sources
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• Spitzer IRAC observations of IR excess in Holmberg IX X-1: A circumbinary disk or a variable jet?
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• Multiwavelength study of the bright X-ray source population in the interacting galaxies NGC5774/NGC5775
• VLT MUSE observations of the bubble nebula around NGC 1313 X-2 and evidence for additional photoionization
• Gas Emission Spectrum in the Irr Galaxy IC 10
• Modelling multiwavelength emission of Ultra-luminous X-ray Sources accreting above the Eddington limit
• Mid-Infrared and X-ray luminosity correlations of X-ray point sources in NGC 1399
• Optical variability of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 1313 X-2
• Observational limits on the X-ray emission from the bubble nebula surrounding Ho IX X-1
• Detection of X-ray elongated emission from a ultraluminous X-ray source in the interacting pair of galaxies NGC 5953/5954
• Bubble in the Whale: Identifying the Optical Counterparts and Extended Nebula for the Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in NGC 4631
• Black Hole Mass Limits for Optically Dark X-ray Bright Sources in Elliptical Galaxies
• Radio Nebulæ from Hyper-Accreting X-ray Binaries as Common Envelope Precursors and Persistent Counterparts of Fast Radio Bursts
• The black hole in NGC 1313 X-2