Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the Globular Cluster RZ 2109 and the Nature of its Black Hole

Mark B. Peacock; Stephen E Zepf; Arunav Kundu; Thomas Maccarone; Katherine L. Rhode; John J. Salzer; Christopher Z Waters; Robin Ciardullo; Caryl Gronwall; Daniel Stern

Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the Globular Cluster RZ 2109 and the Nature of its Black Hole

Mark B. Peacock, Stephen E Zepf, Arunav Kundu, Thomas Maccarone, Katherine L. Rhode, John J. Salzer, Christopher Z Waters, Robin Ciardullo, Caryl Gronwall, Daniel Stern

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We present optical Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) spectroscopy of RZ 2109, a globular cluster (GC) in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. This GC is notable for hosting an ultraluminous X-ray source as well as associated strong and broad [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission. We show that the HST/STIS spectroscopy spatially resolves the [O III] emission in RZ 2109. While we are unable to make a precise determination of the morphology of the emission-line nebula, the best-fitting models all require that the [O III] λ5007 emission has a half-light radius in the range 3-7 pc. The extended nature of the [O III] λ5007 emission is inconsistent with published models that invoke an intermediate-mass black hole origin. It is also inconsistent with the ionization of ejecta from a nova in the cluster. The spatial scale of the nebula could be produced via the photoionization of a strong wind driven from a stellar mass black hole accreting at roughly its Eddington rate.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	126
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
State	Published - Nov 2012

Cite this

@article{66592f570d90453d8b26d4b3ae7657e8,

title = "Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the Globular Cluster RZ 2109 and the Nature of its Black Hole",

abstract = "We present optical Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) spectroscopy of RZ 2109, a globular cluster (GC) in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. This GC is notable for hosting an ultraluminous X-ray source as well as associated strong and broad [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission. We show that the HST/STIS spectroscopy spatially resolves the [O III] emission in RZ 2109. While we are unable to make a precise determination of the morphology of the emission-line nebula, the best-fitting models all require that the [O III] λ5007 emission has a half-light radius in the range 3-7 pc. The extended nature of the [O III] λ5007 emission is inconsistent with published models that invoke an intermediate-mass black hole origin. It is also inconsistent with the ionization of ejecta from a nova in the cluster. The spatial scale of the nebula could be produced via the photoionization of a strong wind driven from a stellar mass black hole accreting at roughly its Eddington rate.",

author = "Peacock, {Mark B.} and Zepf, {Stephen E} and Arunav Kundu and Thomas Maccarone and Rhode, {Katherine L.} and Salzer, {John J.} and Waters, {Christopher Z} and Robin Ciardullo and Caryl Gronwall and Daniel Stern",

year = "2012",

month = nov,

language = "English",

pages = "126",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the Globular Cluster RZ 2109 and the Nature of its Black Hole

AU - Peacock, Mark B.

AU - Zepf, Stephen E

AU - Kundu, Arunav

AU - Maccarone, Thomas

AU - Rhode, Katherine L.

AU - Salzer, John J.

AU - Waters, Christopher Z

AU - Ciardullo, Robin

AU - Gronwall, Caryl

AU - Stern, Daniel

PY - 2012/11

Y1 - 2012/11

N2 - We present optical Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) spectroscopy of RZ 2109, a globular cluster (GC) in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. This GC is notable for hosting an ultraluminous X-ray source as well as associated strong and broad [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission. We show that the HST/STIS spectroscopy spatially resolves the [O III] emission in RZ 2109. While we are unable to make a precise determination of the morphology of the emission-line nebula, the best-fitting models all require that the [O III] λ5007 emission has a half-light radius in the range 3-7 pc. The extended nature of the [O III] λ5007 emission is inconsistent with published models that invoke an intermediate-mass black hole origin. It is also inconsistent with the ionization of ejecta from a nova in the cluster. The spatial scale of the nebula could be produced via the photoionization of a strong wind driven from a stellar mass black hole accreting at roughly its Eddington rate.

AB - We present optical Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) spectroscopy of RZ 2109, a globular cluster (GC) in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4472. This GC is notable for hosting an ultraluminous X-ray source as well as associated strong and broad [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission. We show that the HST/STIS spectroscopy spatially resolves the [O III] emission in RZ 2109. While we are unable to make a precise determination of the morphology of the emission-line nebula, the best-fitting models all require that the [O III] λ5007 emission has a half-light radius in the range 3-7 pc. The extended nature of the [O III] λ5007 emission is inconsistent with published models that invoke an intermediate-mass black hole origin. It is also inconsistent with the ionization of ejecta from a nova in the cluster. The spatial scale of the nebula could be produced via the photoionization of a strong wind driven from a stellar mass black hole accreting at roughly its Eddington rate.

M3 - Article

SP - 126

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

ER -

Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the Globular Cluster RZ 2109 and the Nature of its Black Hole

Abstract

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