The X‐Ray Binary Population in M33. I. Source List and Luminosity Function

Grimm, H.-J.; McDowell, Jonathan; Zezas, A.; Kim, D.-W.; Fabbiano, G.

doi:10.1086/468185

Cited by 39 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(108 reference statements)

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“…2). As well as in the CLF of M 31 sources, it is possible that the same feature is also present in the CLFs of the SMC (Shtykovskiy & Gilfanov 2005) and M33 (Grimm et al 2005) which are both predominantly young populations but have some evidence for a LMXB contribution.…”

Section: Luminosity Functionsmentioning

confidence: 89%

An X-ray spectral survey of the disc of M 31 with XMM-Newton

Greening¹,

Barnard²,

Kolb³

et al. 2009

A&A

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Aims. We present the results of a complete spectral survey of the X-ray point sources detected in five XMM-Newton observations along the major axis of M 31 but avoiding the central bulge, aimed at establishing the population characteristics of X-ray sources in this galaxy. Methods. We obtained background subtracted spectra and lightcurves for each of the 335 X-ray point sources detected across the five observations from 2002. We also correlate our source list with those of earlier X-ray surveys and radio, optical and infra-red catalogues. Sources with more than 50 source counts are individually spectrally fit in order to create the most accurate luminosity functions of M 31 to date. Results. Based on the spectral fitting of these sources with a power law model, we observe a broad range of best fit photon index. From this distribution of best fit index, we identify 16 strong high mass X-ray binary system candidates in M 31. We show the first cumulative luminosity functions created using the best fit spectral model to each source with more than 50 source counts in the disc of M 31. The cumulative luminosity functions show a distinct flattening in the X-ray luminosity L X interval 37.0 log L X erg s −1 37.5. Such a feature may also be present in the X-ray populations of several other galaxies, but at a much lower statistical significance. We investigate the number of AGN present in our source list and find that above L X ∼ 1.4 × 10 36 erg s −1 the observed population is statistically dominated by the point source population of M 31.

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Section: Luminosity Functionsmentioning

confidence: 89%

An X-ray spectral survey of the disc of M 31 with XMM-Newton

Greening¹,

Barnard²,

Kolb³

et al. 2009

A&A

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“…Very recently, Zezas et al (2005) published the analysis of 35 ks Chandra ACIS-S observations. They report an almost point-like emission above 4.0 keV and evidence of an X-ray jet component down to arc-second scales from the nucleus (barely visible in our Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous works have explored this possibility in an AGN sample (Ceballos & Barcons 1996), X-ray surveys of galaxies (Hasinger et al 2001), X-ray source populations in galaxies (Grimm et al 2005;Heinke et al 2005), or diffuse emission in star-forming galaxies (Strickland et al 2004). We built color-color diagrams, using different hardness ratios of the form…”

Section: Color-color Diagramsmentioning

confidence: 99%

X-ray nature of the LINER nuclear sources

González‐Martín

Masegosa

Márquez

et al. 2006

A&A

118

112

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We report the results from a homogeneous analysis of the X-ray (Chandra ACIS) data available for a sample of 51 LINER galaxies selected from the catalogue by Carrillo et al. (1999, Rev. Mex. Astron. Astrofis., 35, 187) and representative of the population of bright LINER sources. The nuclear X-ray morphology has been classified by their nuclear compactness in the hard band (4.5-8.0 keV) into 2 categories: active galactic nuclei (AGN) candidates (with a clearly identified unresolved nuclear source) and starburst (SB) candidates (without a clear nuclear source). Sixty percent of the total sample are classified as AGNs, with a median luminosity of L X (2−10 keV) = 2.5 × 10 40 erg s −1 , which is an order of magnitude higher than for SB-like nuclei. The spectral fitting allows us to conclude that most of the objects need a non-negligible power-law contribution. When no spectral fitting can be performed (data with a low signal-to-noise ratio), the color-color diagrams allow us to roughly estimate physical parameters, such as column density, temperature of the thermal model, or spectral index for a power-law, and therefore to better constrain the origin of the X-ray emission. The X-ray morphology, the spectra, and the color-color diagrams together allow us to conclude that a high percentage of LINER galaxies, at least ≈60%, could host AGN nuclei, although contributions from high-mass X-ray binaries or ultra-luminous X-ray sources cannot be ruled out for some galaxies.

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“…However, repeated Chandra observations in the case of both M33 (Grimm et al 2005) and the Antennae galaxies , in preparation) demonstrate that the XLF is remarkably steady, even when high luminosity sources clearly vary.…”

Section: Xlfs and Parent Stellar Populationsmentioning

confidence: 92%

X-ray Populations in Galaxies

Fabbiano

2005

Proc. IAU

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Today's sensitive, high-resolution Chandra X-ray observations allow the study of many populations of X-ray sources. The traditional astronomical tools of photometric diagrams and luminosity functions are now applied to these populations, and provide the means for classifying the X-ray sources and probing their evolution. While overall stellar mass drives the amount of X-ray binaries in old stellar populations, the amount of sources in star forming galaxies is related to the star formation rate. Short-lived, luminous, high mass binaries (HMXBs) dominate these young X-ray populations. Chandra observations of X-ray binary (XRB) populationsIt is well known that the Milky Way hosts both old and young X-ray source populations, reflecting its general stellar make up. In 1978, the Einstein Observatory, the first imaging X-ray telescope, opened up the systematic study of the X-ray emission of normal galaxies, and revealed populations of X-ray sources, at least in nearby spiral galaxies (Fabbiano 1989). With Chandra's sub-arcsecond angular resolution, combined with CCD photometric capabilities (Weisskopf et al. 2000), the study of normal galaxies in X-rays has taken a revolutionary leap: populations of individual X-ray sources, with luminosities comparable to those of the Galactic X-ray binaries, can be detected at the distance of the Virgo Cluster and beyond.We can now study these X-ray populations in galaxies of all morphological types, down to typical limiting luminosities in the 10 37 ergs s -1 range. At these luminosities, the old population X-ray sources are accreting neutron star or black-hole binaries with a lowmass stellar companion, the LMXBs (life-times ~10 8-9 yrs). The young population X-ray sources, in the same luminosity range, are dominated by neutron star or black hole binaries with a massive stellar companion, the HMXBs (life-times ~ 10 6-7 yrs; see Verbunt & van den Heuvel 1995 for a review on the formation and evolution of X-ray binaries), although a few young supernova remnants (SNRs) may also be expected. At lower luminosities, reachable with Chandra in Local Group galaxies, Galactic sources include accreting white dwarfs and more evolved SNRs. Fig. 1 shows two typical observations of galaxies with Chandra: the spiral M83 (Soria & Wu 2003) and the elliptical NGC4697 (Sarazin, Irwin & Bregman 2000), both observed with the ACIS CCD detector. The images are color coded to indicate the energy of the detected photons (red 0.3-1 keV, green 1-2 keV and blue 2-8 keV). Populations of point-like sources are easily detected above a generally cooler diffuse emission from the hot interstellar medium. Note that luminous X-ray sources are relatively sparse by comparison with the underlying stellar population, and can be detected individually with the Chandra subarcsecond resolution, with the exception of those in crowded circum-nuclear regions.

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The X‐Ray Binary Population in M33. I. Source List and Luminosity Function

Cited by 39 publications

References 52 publications

An X-ray spectral survey of the disc of M 31 with XMM-Newton

An X-ray spectral survey of the disc of M 31 with XMM-Newton

X-ray nature of the LINER nuclear sources

X-ray Populations in Galaxies

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