A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A

GR Sivakoff; RP Kraft; A Jordan; AM Juett; DA Evans; WR Forman; MJ Hardcastle; CL Sarazin; M Birkinshaw; NJ Brassington; JH Croston; WE Harris; C Jones; SS Murray; Somak Raychaudhury; KA Woodley; DM Worrall

doi:10.1086/587960

A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A

GR Sivakoff, RP Kraft, A Jordan, AM Juett, DA Evans, WR Forman, MJ Hardcastle, CL Sarazin, M Birkinshaw, NJ Brassington, JH Croston, WE Harris, C Jones, SS Murray, Somak Raychaudhury, KA Woodley, DM Worrall

Physics and Astronomy

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Abstract

We report the discovery of a bright transient X-ray source, CXOU J132518.2-430304, toward Centaurus A (Cen A) using six new Chandra X-Ray Observatory observations in 2007 March-May. Between 2003 and 2007, its flux has increased by a factor of > 770. The source is likely a low-mass X-ray binary in Cen A with unabsorbed 0.3-10 keV band luminosities of (2-3) x 10(39)ergs s(-1) and a transition from the steep-power-law state to the thermal state during our observations. CXOU J132518.2-430304 is the most luminous X-ray source in an early-type galaxy with extensive timing information that reveals transience and a spectral state transition. Combined with its luminosity, these properties make this source one of the strongest candidates to date for containing a stellar-mass black hole in an early-type galaxy. Unless this outburst lasts many years, the rate of luminous transients in Cen A is anomalously high compared to other early-type galaxies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L27-L30
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal
Volume	677
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/587960
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2008

Keywords

binaries : close
galaxies : elliptical and lenticular
X-rays : binaries
cD galaxies : individual (Centaurus A, NGC 5128)

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10.1086/587960

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Sivakoff, GR., Kraft, RP., Jordan, A., Juett, AM., Evans, DA., Forman, WR., Hardcastle, MJ., Sarazin, CL., Birkinshaw, M., Brassington, NJ., Croston, JH., Harris, WE., Jones, C., Murray, SS., Raychaudhury, S., Woodley, KA., & Worrall, DM. (2008). A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A. The Astrophysical Journal, 677(1), L27-L30. https://doi.org/10.1086/587960

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title = "A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A",

abstract = "We report the discovery of a bright transient X-ray source, CXOU J132518.2-430304, toward Centaurus A (Cen A) using six new Chandra X-Ray Observatory observations in 2007 March-May. Between 2003 and 2007, its flux has increased by a factor of > 770. The source is likely a low-mass X-ray binary in Cen A with unabsorbed 0.3-10 keV band luminosities of (2-3) x 10(39)ergs s(-1) and a transition from the steep-power-law state to the thermal state during our observations. CXOU J132518.2-430304 is the most luminous X-ray source in an early-type galaxy with extensive timing information that reveals transience and a spectral state transition. Combined with its luminosity, these properties make this source one of the strongest candidates to date for containing a stellar-mass black hole in an early-type galaxy. Unless this outburst lasts many years, the rate of luminous transients in Cen A is anomalously high compared to other early-type galaxies.",

keywords = "binaries : close, galaxies : elliptical and lenticular, X-rays : binaries, cD galaxies : individual (Centaurus A, NGC 5128)",

author = "GR Sivakoff and RP Kraft and A Jordan and AM Juett and DA Evans and WR Forman and MJ Hardcastle and CL Sarazin and M Birkinshaw and NJ Brassington and JH Croston and WE Harris and C Jones and SS Murray and Somak Raychaudhury and KA Woodley and DM Worrall",

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doi = "10.1086/587960",

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Sivakoff, GR, Kraft, RP, Jordan, A, Juett, AM, Evans, DA, Forman, WR, Hardcastle, MJ, Sarazin, CL, Birkinshaw, M, Brassington, NJ, Croston, JH, Harris, WE, Jones, C, Murray, SS, Raychaudhury, S, Woodley, KA & Worrall, DM 2008, 'A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A', The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 677, no. 1, pp. L27-L30. https://doi.org/10.1086/587960

TY - JOUR

T1 - A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A

AU - Sivakoff, GR

AU - Kraft, RP

AU - Jordan, A

AU - Juett, AM

AU - Evans, DA

AU - Forman, WR

AU - Hardcastle, MJ

AU - Sarazin, CL

AU - Birkinshaw, M

AU - Brassington, NJ

AU - Croston, JH

AU - Harris, WE

AU - Jones, C

AU - Murray, SS

AU - Raychaudhury, Somak

AU - Woodley, KA

AU - Worrall, DM

PY - 2008/1/1

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N2 - We report the discovery of a bright transient X-ray source, CXOU J132518.2-430304, toward Centaurus A (Cen A) using six new Chandra X-Ray Observatory observations in 2007 March-May. Between 2003 and 2007, its flux has increased by a factor of > 770. The source is likely a low-mass X-ray binary in Cen A with unabsorbed 0.3-10 keV band luminosities of (2-3) x 10(39)ergs s(-1) and a transition from the steep-power-law state to the thermal state during our observations. CXOU J132518.2-430304 is the most luminous X-ray source in an early-type galaxy with extensive timing information that reveals transience and a spectral state transition. Combined with its luminosity, these properties make this source one of the strongest candidates to date for containing a stellar-mass black hole in an early-type galaxy. Unless this outburst lasts many years, the rate of luminous transients in Cen A is anomalously high compared to other early-type galaxies.

AB - We report the discovery of a bright transient X-ray source, CXOU J132518.2-430304, toward Centaurus A (Cen A) using six new Chandra X-Ray Observatory observations in 2007 March-May. Between 2003 and 2007, its flux has increased by a factor of > 770. The source is likely a low-mass X-ray binary in Cen A with unabsorbed 0.3-10 keV band luminosities of (2-3) x 10(39)ergs s(-1) and a transition from the steep-power-law state to the thermal state during our observations. CXOU J132518.2-430304 is the most luminous X-ray source in an early-type galaxy with extensive timing information that reveals transience and a spectral state transition. Combined with its luminosity, these properties make this source one of the strongest candidates to date for containing a stellar-mass black hole in an early-type galaxy. Unless this outburst lasts many years, the rate of luminous transients in Cen A is anomalously high compared to other early-type galaxies.

KW - binaries : close

KW - galaxies : elliptical and lenticular

KW - X-rays : binaries

KW - cD galaxies : individual (Centaurus A, NGC 5128)

U2 - 10.1086/587960

DO - 10.1086/587960

M3 - Article

SN - 1538-4357

VL - 677

SP - L27-L30

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

ER -

A transient black hole low-mass X-ray binary candidate in Centaurus A

Abstract

Keywords

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