Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope observations of the intermediate-age cluster GLIMPSE-C01

TL;DR

This study combines Hubble and Chandra observations to analyze the star cluster GLIMPSE-C01, estimating its age, distance, and reddening, and identifying potential X-ray binary and cataclysmic variable candidates amidst high source density.

Contribution

It provides the first combined X-ray and infrared analysis of GC01, identifying candidate compact objects and discussing the challenges of source classification in dense stellar environments.

Findings

Estimated cluster age of 2-10 Gyrs.

Identified candidate LMXB, CV, and AB sources.

Discussed the potential presence of an intermediate mass black hole.

Abstract

We report the results of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) observations of the GLIMPSE-C01 (hereafter GC01) star cluster. Color-magnitude and color-color diagrams suggest a cluster age of $\gtrsim2$ Gyrs up to $\sim10$ Gyrs (dependent on GC01's metallicity), a distance of 3.3-3.5 kpc, and strong differential reddening with $A_V=14-22$. After performing astrometric corrections, we find that nine of the 15 X-ray sources have at least one NIR counterpart within the 2$\sigma$ CXO positional error circles. However, given the very high density of NIR sources in the cluster, most of these counterparts are likely due to chance coincidence. We jointly analyze the X-ray and NIR properties to assess the likelihood of true associations. Based primarily on their X-ray properties, we identify an LMXB candidate (source X2), a CV candidate (source X1), and an AB candidate (source X9). Source X11 is detected during an X-ray flaring episode with a flare luminosity ($L_{X}=2.1\times10^{33}$ erg s$^{-1}$) and has a quiescent luminosity $L_{X}<8.0\times10^{30}$ erg s$^{-1}$, in 0.5--8 keV at the distance of GC01, suggesting that the source is either an AB or CV. We also discuss the limits on an intermediate mass black hole at the center of GC01 and the challenges of X-ray source classification imposed by the limitations of the existing data and instrumentation along with future prospects in the James Webb Space Telescope era.