Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Feb 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010head...11.2703s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, HEAD meeting #11, #27.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.698
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We present new X-ray timing measurements of the ultra-luminous X-ray source NGC 5408 X-1 with XMM-Newton and Swift which provide strong evidence that this system is a Roche lobe overflow binary containing an intermediate mass black hole. The timing and spectral properties of mHz QPOs measured at two epochs with XMM-Newton show behavior closely analogous to that seen in Galactic, stellar mass black holes. Scaling of the observed QPO frequencies to those observed in Galactic systems of known mass, and in a similar spectral state, suggests a black hole mass in the range from 1000 - 9000 solar masses for NGC 5408 X-1. Monitoring of the source with SWIFT has recently led to the detection of a 115 day period which is very likely the orbital period of the binary. If this is the case then the donor can only be a giant or supergiant star. We argue that these new findings strongly support that conclusion that NGC 5408 X-1 harbors an intermediate mass black hole.
Mushotzky Richard
Strohmayer Tod E.
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