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An X-ray Emitting Black Hole in a Globular Cluster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2007

T.J. Maccarone ,
G. Bergond ,
A. Kundu ,
K.L. Rhode ,
J.J. Salzer ,
I.C. Shih  and
S.E. Zepf
T.J. Maccarone
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK, SO16 4ES email: tjm@phys.soton.ac.uk
G. Bergond
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucí a (IAA/CSIC), Camino Bajo de Hué tor 50, 18008 Granada, Spain
A. Kundu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
K.L. Rhode
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA Department of Astronomy, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 06459, USA Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven CT, 06520, USA
J.J. Salzer
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA Department of Astronomy, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 06459, USA
I.C. Shih
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
S.E. Zepf
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Abstract

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We present optical and X-ray data for the first object showing strong evidence for being a black hole in a globular cluster. We show the initial X-ray light curve and X-ray spectrum which led to the discovery that this is an extremely bright, highly variable source, and thus must be a black hole. We present the optical spectrum which unambiguously identifies the optical counterpart as a globular cluster, and which shows a strong, broad [O III] emission line, most likely coming from an outflow driven by the accreting source.

Keywords

X-ray: binariesglobular clusters: generalgalaxies: individual (NGC 4472)

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