Optical Spectra of Extragalactic Globular Clusters That Harbor Luminous X-rayBinaries

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We present optical spectra of >70 globular clusters that harbor luminous X-ray sources in the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC1399 obtained with the Magellan 6.5m Telescope. These X-ray sources are most likely low-mass X-ray binaries, which form with much greater ease within the high stellar densities of a globular cluster than in the field. A previous optical spectrum of one globular cluster in this galaxy with a very luminous X-ray binary revealed a strong optical emission line, although a lack of other features in the spectrum precluded a positive identification. Our newer Magellan observation confirms this line and also identifies another strong emission line. Such strong emission lines in a globular cluster are rarely found and might be indicative of a planetary nebula, although planetary nebula are not strong X-ray emitters. Given that planetary nebula and very luminous X-ray binaries are both rare objects in globular clusters, it would be quite unusual if a globular cluster independently harbored both. A more comprehensive examination of other X-ray binary-harboring globular clusters will determine whether such optical emission lines are preferentially found in globular clusters that harbor luminous X-ray binaries, indicating a link between the two phenomena.

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