Spectral Properties of X-Ray Binaries in Centaurus A

Mark J. Burke; Somak Raychaudhury; Ralph P. Kraft; Thomas Maccarone; Eighteen Other Authors

Spectral Properties of X-Ray Binaries in Centaurus A

Mark J. Burke, Somak Raychaudhury, Ralph P. Kraft, Thomas Maccarone, Eighteen Other Authors

Physics

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

Abstract

We present a spectral investigation of X-ray binaries (XBs) in NGC 5128 (Cen A), using six 100 ks Chandra observations taken over two months in 2007. We divide our sample into thermally and non-thermally dominated states based on the behavior of the fitted absorption column N H, and present the spectral parameters of sources with Lx >~ 2 × 1037 erg s-1. The majority of sources are consistent with being neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs) and we identify three transient black hole (BH) LMXB candidates coincident with the dust lane, which is the remnant of a small late-type galaxy. Our results also provide tentative support for the apparent "gap" in the mass distribution of compact objects between ~2-5 M ⊙. We propose that BH LMXBs are preferentially found in the dust lane, and suggest this is because of the younger stellar population. The majority (~70%-80%) of potential Roche lobe filling donors in the Cen A halo are >~ 12 Gyr old, while BH LMXBs require donors >~ 1 M ⊙ to

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	88
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
State	Published - Apr 2013

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@article{78d91518ce814b4b9ca06b72f18b66e8,

title = "Spectral Properties of X-Ray Binaries in Centaurus A",

abstract = "We present a spectral investigation of X-ray binaries (XBs) in NGC 5128 (Cen A), using six 100 ks Chandra observations taken over two months in 2007. We divide our sample into thermally and non-thermally dominated states based on the behavior of the fitted absorption column N H, and present the spectral parameters of sources with Lx >~ 2 × 1037 erg s-1. The majority of sources are consistent with being neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs) and we identify three transient black hole (BH) LMXB candidates coincident with the dust lane, which is the remnant of a small late-type galaxy. Our results also provide tentative support for the apparent {"}gap{"} in the mass distribution of compact objects between ~2-5 M ⊙. We propose that BH LMXBs are preferentially found in the dust lane, and suggest this is because of the younger stellar population. The majority (~70%-80%) of potential Roche lobe filling donors in the Cen A halo are >~ 12 Gyr old, while BH LMXBs require donors >~ 1 M ⊙ to",

author = "Burke, {Mark J.} and Somak Raychaudhury and Kraft, {Ralph P.} and Thomas Maccarone and Authors, {Eighteen Other}",

year = "2013",

month = apr,

language = "English",

pages = "88",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spectral Properties of X-Ray Binaries in Centaurus A

AU - Burke, Mark J.

AU - Raychaudhury, Somak

AU - Kraft, Ralph P.

AU - Maccarone, Thomas

AU - Authors, Eighteen Other

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - We present a spectral investigation of X-ray binaries (XBs) in NGC 5128 (Cen A), using six 100 ks Chandra observations taken over two months in 2007. We divide our sample into thermally and non-thermally dominated states based on the behavior of the fitted absorption column N H, and present the spectral parameters of sources with Lx >~ 2 × 1037 erg s-1. The majority of sources are consistent with being neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs) and we identify three transient black hole (BH) LMXB candidates coincident with the dust lane, which is the remnant of a small late-type galaxy. Our results also provide tentative support for the apparent "gap" in the mass distribution of compact objects between ~2-5 M ⊙. We propose that BH LMXBs are preferentially found in the dust lane, and suggest this is because of the younger stellar population. The majority (~70%-80%) of potential Roche lobe filling donors in the Cen A halo are >~ 12 Gyr old, while BH LMXBs require donors >~ 1 M ⊙ to

AB - We present a spectral investigation of X-ray binaries (XBs) in NGC 5128 (Cen A), using six 100 ks Chandra observations taken over two months in 2007. We divide our sample into thermally and non-thermally dominated states based on the behavior of the fitted absorption column N H, and present the spectral parameters of sources with Lx >~ 2 × 1037 erg s-1. The majority of sources are consistent with being neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs) and we identify three transient black hole (BH) LMXB candidates coincident with the dust lane, which is the remnant of a small late-type galaxy. Our results also provide tentative support for the apparent "gap" in the mass distribution of compact objects between ~2-5 M ⊙. We propose that BH LMXBs are preferentially found in the dust lane, and suggest this is because of the younger stellar population. The majority (~70%-80%) of potential Roche lobe filling donors in the Cen A halo are >~ 12 Gyr old, while BH LMXBs require donors >~ 1 M ⊙ to

M3 - Article

SP - 88

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

ER -