4.7 Article

Weakly broadened iron line in the X-ray spectrum of the ultraluminous X-ray source M82 X-1

Journal

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Volume 418, Issue 3, Pages 1973-1979

Publisher

OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19615.x

Keywords

black hole physics; line: formation; X-rays: galaxies; X-rays: general

Funding

  1. ESA
  2. USA (NASA)

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We present the best quality XMMNewton and Suzaku data from M82 X-1 so far. We analyse the spectra of this remarkable ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source in a self-consistent manner. We have disentangled emission from the host galaxy, responsible for the soft X-ray emission (E= 2.5 keV), which is successfully described by a two-temperature thermal emission from a hot plasma in multiphase state, plus a narrow Fe line emission at 6.7 keV. This allowed us to properly study the intrinsic continuum emission from M82 X-1. The continuum of the Suzaku spectrum is curved, and the high-quality data of the Suzaku spectrum allowed us to significantly detect a weakly broadened Fe Ka emission line. The equivalent width is in the range 3080 eV and it does not depend on the model applied for the continuum. Assuming that this line is coming from the ULX via disc fluorescence, the data indicate a disc truncation at a radius of 620 gravitational radii. This value is comparable to or even larger than the innermost stable circular orbit of a non-spinning (Schwarzschild) black hole. Future longer observations might test this scenario.

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