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[O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole x-ray binary in an NGC 4472 globular cluster

[O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole x-ray binary in an NGC 4472 globular cluster
[O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole x-ray binary in an NGC 4472 globular cluster
We present the discovery of [O III] λ5007 emission associated with the black hole X-ray binary recently identified in a globular cluster in the Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. This object is the first confirmed black hole X-ray binary in a globular cluster. The identification of [O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole hosting globular cluster is based on two independent fiber spectra obtained at the VLT with FLAMES, which cover a wavelength range of 5000-5800 Å at a spectral resolution of about 6000. In each of these spectra we find an emission line at 5031.2 Å with an uncertainty of several tenths of an angstrom. These are consistent with [O III] λ5007 emission at the 1475+/-7 km s-1 radial velocity of the globular cluster previously determined from an analysis of its absorption lines. This agreement within the small uncertainties argues strongly in favor of the interpretation of the line as [O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole hosting globular cluster. We also find that the emission line most likely has a velocity width of several hundred km s-1. Such a velocity width rules out a planetary nebula explanation for the [O III] λ5007 emission and implicates the black hole as the source of the power driving the nebular emission.
galaxies: individual (NGC 4472), galaxies: star clusters, globular clusters: general, X-rays: binaries, X-rays: galaxies: clusters
2041-8205
L69-L72
Zepf, Stephen E.
108fcc75-6611-48a3-b405-99737b38af85
Maccarone, Thomas J.
27e6101c-8fa4-41db-ba75-d2ee3d1a0c53
Bergond, Gilles
62145955-1ebf-435f-af78-117326afae38
Kundu, Arunav
ece8dcd2-e6dc-4f02-a90b-016ba9b573ed
Rhode, Katherine L.
e9dfc008-68b7-4add-849b-f8d443496508
Salzer, John J.
fc6b2d68-0e51-4e9d-8ff5-55b6a000fdc4
Zepf, Stephen E.
108fcc75-6611-48a3-b405-99737b38af85
Maccarone, Thomas J.
27e6101c-8fa4-41db-ba75-d2ee3d1a0c53
Bergond, Gilles
62145955-1ebf-435f-af78-117326afae38
Kundu, Arunav
ece8dcd2-e6dc-4f02-a90b-016ba9b573ed
Rhode, Katherine L.
e9dfc008-68b7-4add-849b-f8d443496508
Salzer, John J.
fc6b2d68-0e51-4e9d-8ff5-55b6a000fdc4

Zepf, Stephen E., Maccarone, Thomas J., Bergond, Gilles, Kundu, Arunav, Rhode, Katherine L. and Salzer, John J. (2007) [O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole x-ray binary in an NGC 4472 globular cluster. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 669 (2), L69-L72. (doi:10.1086/523797).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We present the discovery of [O III] λ5007 emission associated with the black hole X-ray binary recently identified in a globular cluster in the Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. This object is the first confirmed black hole X-ray binary in a globular cluster. The identification of [O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole hosting globular cluster is based on two independent fiber spectra obtained at the VLT with FLAMES, which cover a wavelength range of 5000-5800 Å at a spectral resolution of about 6000. In each of these spectra we find an emission line at 5031.2 Å with an uncertainty of several tenths of an angstrom. These are consistent with [O III] λ5007 emission at the 1475+/-7 km s-1 radial velocity of the globular cluster previously determined from an analysis of its absorption lines. This agreement within the small uncertainties argues strongly in favor of the interpretation of the line as [O III] λ5007 emission from the black hole hosting globular cluster. We also find that the emission line most likely has a velocity width of several hundred km s-1. Such a velocity width rules out a planetary nebula explanation for the [O III] λ5007 emission and implicates the black hole as the source of the power driving the nebular emission.

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More information

Published date: November 2007
Keywords: galaxies: individual (NGC 4472), galaxies: star clusters, globular clusters: general, X-rays: binaries, X-rays: galaxies: clusters

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 79591
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/79591
ISSN: 2041-8205
PURE UUID: aac0580c-cc2d-4da7-9053-c96ff68ebb2f

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Date deposited: 17 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 00:31

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Contributors

Author: Stephen E. Zepf
Author: Thomas J. Maccarone
Author: Gilles Bergond
Author: Arunav Kundu
Author: Katherine L. Rhode
Author: John J. Salzer

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