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X-ray spectral variability in the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1

Vierdayanti, K.; Done, C.; Roberts, T.P.; Mineshige, S.

X-ray spectral variability in the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1 Thumbnail


Authors

K. Vierdayanti

S. Mineshige



Abstract

We use XMM–Newton and Swift data to study a spectral variability in the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX), Holmberg IX X−1. The source luminosity varies by a factor of 3–4, giving rise to corresponding spectral changes which are significant, but subtle, and not well tracked by a simple hardness ratio. Instead, we co-add the Swift data in intensity bins and do full spectral fitting with disc plus thermal Comptonization models. All the data are well fitted by a low temperature, optically thick Comptonizing corona, and the variability can be roughly characterized by decreasing temperature and increasing optical depth as the source becomes brighter, as expected if the corona is becoming progressively mass loaded by material blown off the super-Eddington inner disc. This variability behaviour is seen in other ULX which has similar spectra, but is opposite to the trend seen in the ULX with much softer spectra. This supports the idea that there are two distinct physical regimes in ULXs, where the spectra go from being dominated by a disc-corona to being dominated by a wind.

Citation

Vierdayanti, K., Done, C., Roberts, T., & Mineshige, S. (2010). X-ray spectral variability in the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 403(3), 1206-1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.16210.x

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Apr 11, 2010
Deposit Date Jan 30, 2012
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Print ISSN 0035-8711
Electronic ISSN 1365-2966
Publisher Royal Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 403
Issue 3
Pages 1206-1212
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.16210.x
Keywords Accretion, Accretion disc, Black hole physics, Stars, Individual, Holmberg IX X−1, X-rays, Binaries.

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Copyright Statement
This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 RAS. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.





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