Herschel views on ultra-luminous X-ray sources

TL;DR

This study uses Herschel infrared data to explore the environments of ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), aiming to understand their nature and interaction with surrounding material in host galaxies.

Contribution

First results demonstrate a spatial correlation between ULXs and dense cold clouds, providing insights into their environments and potential origins.

Findings

ULXs are spatially correlated with dense cold clouds.

The environment analysis can distinguish between different ULX models.

Results will inform on the nature of ULX host galaxies.

Abstract

The nature of ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), which are off-nuclear extragalactic X-ray sources that exceed the Eddington luminosity for a stellar-mass black hole, is still largely unknown. They might be black hole X-ray binaries in a super-Eddington accretion state, possibly with significant beaming of their emission, or they might harbor a black hole of intermediate mass (10^2 to 10^5 solar masses). Due to the enormous amount of energy radiated, ULXs can have strong interactions with their environment, particularly if the emission is not beamed and if they host a massive black hole. We present early results of a project that uses archival Herschel infrared observations of galaxies hosting bright ULXs in order to constrain the nature of the environment surrounding the ULXs and possible interactions. We already observe a spatial correlation between ULXs and dense clouds of cold material, that will be quantified in subsequent work. Those observations will allow us to test the similarities with the environment of Galactic high mass X-ray binaries. This project will also shed light on the nature of the host galaxies, and the possible factors that could favor the presence of a ULX in a galaxy.