Transition to the disk dominant state of a new ultraluminous X-ray source in M82

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and analysis of a new ultraluminous X-ray source in M82, showing spectral states similar to Galactic black hole binaries and suggesting a rapidly spinning black hole with potential outflow features.

Contribution

It presents the identification and spectral analysis of a new ULX in M82, revealing state transitions and black hole properties not previously characterized.

Findings

Flux up to 6.5 x 10^39 erg/s in ULX regime

Spectral behavior consistent with Galactic BHBs in thermal state

Indications of a rapidly spinning black hole with <100 solar masses

Abstract

We report on the identification of a third, new ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in the starburst galaxy M82. Previously, the source was observed at fluxes consistent with the high state of Galactic black hole binaries (BHBs). We observe fluxes up to (6.5 +/- 0.3)E39 ergs/s in the ultraluminous regime. When the source is not in the the low/hard state, spectral fitting using a multicolor disk model shows that the disk luminosity varies as the disk inner temperature raised to the power 4.8 +/- 0.9, consistent with the behavior of Galactic BHBs in the thermal dominant state. Fitting the spectrum with a multicolor disk model with general relativistic corrections suggests that the source harbors a rapidly spinning black hole with a mass less than 100 solar masses. A soft excess was found in the source spectrum that could be blackbody emission from a photosphere created by a massive outflow. The source also showed soft dips during a flare.