The black hole in NGC 1313 X-2: constraints on the mass from optical observations
Abstract
We present a theoretical study on the nature of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 1313 X-2. We evolved a set of binaries with high-mass donor stars orbiting a 20Msolar or a 50-100Msolar black hole (BH). Using constraints from optical observations, we restricted the candidate binary system for NGC 1313 X-2 to be either a 50-100Msolar BH accreting from a 12-15Msolar main-sequence star or a ~20Msolar BH with a 12-15Msolar giant donor. If the modulation of 6.12 +/- 0.16 d recently identified as the orbital period of the system is confirmed, a ~20Msolar BH model becomes unlikely and we are left with the only possibility that the compact accretor in NGC 1313 X-2 is a massive BH of ~50-100Msolar.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- March 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2010.00817.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1001.3315
- Bibcode:
- 2010MNRAS.403L..69P
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: X-rays: binaries;
- X-rays: galaxies;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 2 figures, Accepted by MNRAS Letters