NIR Counterparts to ULXs (III): Completing the photometric survey and selected spectroscopic results

TL;DR

This study completes a near-infrared survey of ULX counterparts, identifying several RSGs, nebulae, and an AGN, and finds a higher-than-expected fraction of ULXs with RSG companions.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive NIR survey and spectroscopic confirmation of ULX counterparts, revealing a larger fraction of RSG companions than predicted.

Findings

Detected NIR counterparts for 6 out of 23 ULXs observed.

Confirmed 5 RSGs as ULX counterparts, including one background AGN.

Found that about 4% of ULXs may have RSG companions, higher than theoretical predictions.

Abstract

We present results from the remaining sources in our search for near-infrared (NIR) candidate counterparts to ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) within $\simeq$ 10 Mpc. We observed 23 ULXs in 15 galaxies and detected NIR candidate counterparts to six of them. Two of these have an absolute magnitude consistent with a single red supergiant (RSG). Three counterparts are too bright for a RSG and spatially extended, and thus we classify them as stellar clusters. The other candidate is too faint for a RSG. Additionally, we present the results of our NIR spectroscopic follow-up of five sources: four originally classified as RSG and one as a stellar cluster on the basis of previous photometry. The stellar cluster candidate is actually a nebula. Of the four RSGs candidates, one source has a broad H$\alpha$ emission line redshifted by $\sim z = 1$, making it a background AGN. Two other sources show stellar spectra consistent with them being RSGs. The final RSG candidate is too faint to classify, but does not show strong (nebular) emission lines in its spectrum. After our search for NIR counterparts to 113 ULXs, where we detected a candidate counterpart for 38 ULXs, we have spectroscopically confirmed the nature of 12: five sources are nebulae, one source is not classified, one source is an AGN and five are RSGs. These possible five ULX-RSG binary systems would constitute $\simeq$ $(4 \pm 2)\%$ of the observed ULXs, a fraction almost four times larger than what was predicted by binary evolution simulations.