Monitoring Variable X-ray Sources in Nearby Galaxies
Abstract
In the last decade, it has been possible to monitor variable X-ray sources in nearby galaxies. In particular, since the launch of Chandra, M31 has been regularly observed. It is perhaps the only nearby galaxy which is observed by an X-ray telescope regularly throughout operation. With 10 years of observations, the center of M31 has been observed with Chandra for over 1 Msec and the X-ray skies of M31 consist of many transients and variables. Furthermore, the X-ray Telescope of Swift has been monitoring several ultraluminous X-ray sources in nearby galaxies regularly. Not only can we detect long-term X-ray variability, we can also find spectral variation as well as possible orbital period. I will review some of the important Chandra and Swift monitoring observations of nearby galaxies in the last decade. I will also discuss the possibility to use MAXI for X-ray monitoring observations of nearby galaxies.
- Publication:
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arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- February 2011
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.1102.3212
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1102.3212
- Bibcode:
- 2011arXiv1102.3212K
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 4 figures