Time variability of X-ray sources in the M 31 centre field

TL;DR

This study extends the M 31 X-ray source catalogue and analyzes time variability in archival XMM-Newton data to classify sources, identifying various types including X-ray binaries, supernova remnants, and foreground stars.

Contribution

The paper introduces an extended catalog of X-ray sources in M 31 and applies time variability analysis to classify sources more accurately than previous studies.

Findings

Identified 39 new X-ray sources in M 31.

Classified multiple sources as X-ray binaries, supernova remnants, and foreground stars.

Rejected previous supernova remnant classification for one source based on variability.

Abstract

We present an extension to our XMM-Newton X-ray source catalogue of M 31, containing 39 newly found sources. In order to classify and identify more of the sources we search for X-ray time variability in XMM-Newton archival data of the M 31 centre field. As a source list we used our extended catalogue based on observations covering the time span from June 2000 to July 2004. We then determined the flux or at least an upper limit at the source positions for each observation. Deriving the flux ratios for the different observations and searching for the maximum flux difference we determined variability factors. We also calculated the significance of the flux ratios. Using hardness ratios, X-ray variability and cross correlations with catalogues in the X-ray, optical, infrared and radio regimes, we detected three super soft source candidates, one supernova remnant and six supernova remnant candidates, one globular cluster candidate, three X-ray binaries and four X-ray binary candidates. Additionally we identified one foreground star candidate and classified fifteen sources with hard spectra, which may either be X-ray binaries or Crab-like supernova remnants in M 31 or background active galactic nuclei. The remaining five sources stay unidentified or without classification. Based on the time variability results we suggest six sources, which were formerly classified as "hard", to be X-ray binary candidates. The classification of one other source (XMMM31 J004236.7+411349) as a supernova remnant, has to be rejected due to the distinct time variability we found. We now classify this source as a foreground star.