A soft-spectrum PULX candidate is reported in Cen A but XMM-SAS randomisation during data reduction renders the marginal 1.27 Hz pulsation detection unreliable across repeated reductions.
An Ultraluminous X-ray Source Powered by An Accreting Neutron Star
9 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
9
Pith papers citing it
abstract
Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) are off-nuclear point sources in nearby galaxies whose X-ray luminosity exceeds the theoretical maximum for spherical infall (the Eddington limit) onto stellar-mass black holes. Their luminosity ranges from $10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1} < L_X$(0.5 - 10 keV) $<10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Since higher masses imply less extreme ratios of the luminosity to the isotropic Eddington limit theoretical models have focused on black hole rather than neutron star systems. The most challenging sources to explain are those at the luminous end ($L_X$ > $10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$), which require black hole masses MBH >50 solar masses and/or significant departures from the standard thin disk accretion that powers bright Galactic X-ray binaries. Here we report broadband X-ray observations of the nuclear region of the galaxy M82, which contains two bright ULXs. The observations reveal pulsations of average period 1.37 s with a 2.5-day sinusoidal modulation. The pulsations result from the rotation of a magnetized neutron star, and the modulation arises from its binary orbit. The pulsed flux alone corresponds to $L_X$(3 - 30 keV) = $4.9 \times 10^{39}$ erg s$^{-1}$. The pulsating source is spatially coincident with a variable ULX which can reach $L_X$ (0.3 - 10 keV) = $1.8 \times 10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$. This association implies a luminosity ~100 times the Eddington limit for a 1.4 solar mass object, or more than ten times brighter than any known accreting pulsar. This finding implies that neutron stars may not be rare in the ULX population, and it challenges physical models for the accretion of matter onto magnetized compact objects.
representative citing papers
EP250905a is best explained as a mildly off-axis structured-jet afterglow at z=2.714, possibly weakly magnified by a foreground galaxy at z=0.374.
An MCMC-based period search method recovers previously reported candidate periods in FRB 20201124A observations.
Archival Chandra and XMM-Newton observations reveal two transient X-ray sources in NGC 4552 exceeding 10^39 erg/s, classifying them as new transient ULXs.
Feasibility calculations show SKA-Mid can detect polarized emission from a Holmberg II X-1-like ULX jet within 10 hours up to ~10 Mpc, while the bubble requires ~100 hours.
Explores SKAO detection of scalar-induced GW backgrounds as probes of primordial non-Gaussianity and parity violation, with LSS cross-correlation to improve SNR.
Gemini spectroscopy suggests an A-type supergiant donor in NGC 1313 X-2 and provides updated constraints on orbital parameters, disk size, and gas bubble expansion.
High-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations find that major mergers do not trigger sustained super-Eddington black hole accretion in low-mass halos when feedback is included; episodes occur only immediately after seeding or with feedback disabled.
Wideband observations show M28A giant pulses differ from FRB 20200120E bursts in duration, luminosity, timing statistics, and spectral structure, yielding no strong evidence for a direct link.
citing papers explorer
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Significant or Not? The Impact of Randomisation During Data Reduction on Confirming a New Pulsating Ultraluminous X-ray Source Candidate in Centaurus A
A soft-spectrum PULX candidate is reported in Cen A but XMM-SAS randomisation during data reduction renders the marginal 1.27 Hz pulsation detection unreliable across repeated reductions.
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Multi-wavelength Constraints on the Transient EP250905a
EP250905a is best explained as a mildly off-axis structured-jet afterglow at z=2.714, possibly weakly magnified by a foreground galaxy at z=0.374.
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Revisiting the Reported Period of FRB 20201124A Using MCMC Methods
An MCMC-based period search method recovers previously reported candidate periods in FRB 20201124A observations.
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Transient and Variable Ultra-luminous X-ray Sources in NGC 4552
Archival Chandra and XMM-Newton observations reveal two transient X-ray sources in NGC 4552 exceeding 10^39 erg/s, classifying them as new transient ULXs.
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Polarimetry of Ultraluminous X-ray sources
Feasibility calculations show SKA-Mid can detect polarized emission from a Holmberg II X-1-like ULX jet within 10 hours up to ~10 Mpc, while the bubble requires ~100 hours.
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Exploring Gravitational Wave Signatures Due to Primordial Non-gaussianity and Large Scale Structure Using SKAO
Explores SKAO detection of scalar-induced GW backgrounds as probes of primordial non-Gaussianity and parity violation, with LSS cross-correlation to improve SNR.
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Deep optical spectroscopic monitoring of the pulsating ULX NGC 1313 X-2 with longslit Gemini observations
Gemini spectroscopy suggests an A-type supergiant donor in NGC 1313 X-2 and provides updated constraints on orbital parameters, disk size, and gas bubble expansion.
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The role of major mergers in triggering super-Eddington accretion
High-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations find that major mergers do not trigger sustained super-Eddington black hole accretion in low-mass halos when feedback is included; episodes occur only immediately after seeding or with feedback disabled.
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Searching for links between energetic millisecond pulsars and repeating fast radio bursts
Wideband observations show M28A giant pulses differ from FRB 20200120E bursts in duration, luminosity, timing statistics, and spectral structure, yielding no strong evidence for a direct link.