Recurrent X-ray flares of the black hole candidate in the globular cluster RZ 2109 in NGC 4472

TL;DR

This study systematically analyzes X-ray observations of a globular cluster source, revealing recurrent flares with potential ~34-hour intervals, suggesting a possible white dwarf disruption by an intermediate-mass black hole.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of flaring episodes in this source, identifying potential periodicity and proposing a novel black hole disruption scenario.

Findings

Detected new X-ray flares in the source.

Observed potential ~34-hour recurrence interval.

Proposed white dwarf disruption by an intermediate-mass black hole.

Abstract

We report on the systematic analysis of the X-ray observations of the ultra-luminous X-ray source XMMU J122939.7+075333 located in the globular cluster RZ 2109 in the Virgo galaxy NGC 4472. The inclusion of observations and time intervals ignored in previous works and the careful selection of extraction regions and energy bands have allowed us to identify new flaring episodes, in addition to the ones that made it one of the best black hole candidates in globular clusters. Although most observations are too short and sparse to recognize a regular pattern, the spacing of the three most recent X-ray flares is compatible with a ~34 hours recurrence time. If confirmed by future observations, such behavior, together with the soft spectrum of the X-ray flares, would be strikingly similar to the quasi-periodic eruptions recently discovered in galactic nuclei. Following one of the possible interpretations of these systems and of a peculiar class of extra-galactic X-ray transients, we explore the possibility that XMMU J122939.7+075333 might be powered by the partial disruption of a white dwarf by an intermediate mass (M~700 Msun) black hole.