The Wolf-Rayet + Black Hole Binary NGC 300 X-1: What is the Mass of the Black Hole?

TL;DR

This study uses combined X-ray and UV observations to analyze the NGC 300 X-1 binary system, determining the black hole's mass and system geometry, revealing a wind-Roche lobe overflow accretion process.

Contribution

First combined X-ray and UV phase-resolved spectroscopy of NGC 300 X-1, providing new constraints on black hole mass and system geometry.

Findings

Black hole mass estimated at 17±4 solar masses.

Binary orbital period measured at 32.7921 hours.

Evidence for wind-Roche lobe overflow accretion.

Abstract

We present new X-ray and UV observations of the Wolf-Rayet + black hole binary system NGC 300 X-1 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. When combined with archival X-ray observations, our X-ray and UV observations sample the entire binary orbit, providing clues to the system geometry and interaction between the black hole accretion disk and the donor star wind. We measure a binary orbital period of 32.7921$\pm$0.0003 hr, in agreement with previous studies, and perform phase-resolved spectroscopy using the X-ray data. The X-ray light curve reveals a deep eclipse, consistent with inclination angles of $i=60-75^{\circ}$, and a pre-eclipse excess consistent with an accretion stream impacting the disk edge. We further measure radial velocity variations for several prominent FUV spectral lines, most notably He II $\lambda$1640 and C IV $\lambda$1550. We find that the He II emission lines systematically lag the expected Wolf-Rayet star orbital motion by a phase difference $\Delta \phi\sim0.3$, while C IV $\lambda$1550 matches the phase of the anticipated radial velocity curve of the Wolf-Rayet donor. We assume the C IV $\lambda$1550 emission line follows a sinusoidal radial velocity curve (semi-amplitude = 250 km s$^{-1}$) and infer a BH mass of 17$\pm$4 M$_{\odot}$. Our observations are consistent with the presence of a wind-Roche lobe overflow accretion disk, where an accretion stream forms from gravitationally focused wind material and impacts the edge of the black hole accretion disk.