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Evidence for a Stellar Disruption by an Intermediate-mass Black Hole in an Extragalactic Globular Cluster

Irwin, J.A.; Brink, T.G.; Bregman, J.N.; Roberts, T.P.

Authors

J.A. Irwin

T.G. Brink

J.N. Bregman



Abstract

We report [O III] λ5007 and [N II] λ6583 emission from a globular cluster harboring the ultraluminous X-ray source CXOJ033831.8 – 352604 in the Fornax elliptical galaxy NGC 1399. No accompanying Balmer emission lines are present in the spectrum. One possibility is that the forbidden lines emanate from X-ray-illuminated debris of a star that has been tidally disrupted by an intermediate-mass black hole, with this debris also feeding the black hole leading to the observed X-ray emission. The line strengths indicate that the minimum size of the emitting region is ~1015 cm, and if the 70 km s–1 half-widths of the emission lines represent rotation around the black hole, a minimum black hole mass of 1000 M ☉ is implied. The non-detection of Hα and Hβ emission lines suggests a white dwarf star was disrupted, although the presence of strong nitrogen emission is somewhat of a mystery.

Citation

Irwin, J., Brink, T., Bregman, J., & Roberts, T. (2010). Evidence for a Stellar Disruption by an Intermediate-mass Black Hole in an Extragalactic Globular Cluster. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 712(1), L1-L4. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/712/1/l1

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Mar 20, 2010
Deposit Date Jan 30, 2012
Publicly Available Date Feb 19, 2014
Journal Astrophysical Journal Letters
Print ISSN 2041-8205
Electronic ISSN 2041-8213
Publisher American Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 712
Issue 1
Pages L1-L4
DOI https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/712/1/l1
Keywords Galaxies, Individual (NGC 1399), Star clusters, Globular clusters, X-rays, Binaries.

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