Related papers: The sub-classes of ultraluminous X-ray sources
NGC 925 ULX-1 and ULX-2 are two ultraluminous X-ray sources in the galaxy NGC 925, at a distance of 8.5 Mpc. For the first time, we analyzed high quality, simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR data of both sources. Although at a first glance…
The presence or lack of eclipses in the X-ray lightcurves of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) can be directly linked to the accreting system geometry. In the case where the compact object is stellar mass and radiates isotropically, we…
Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) have been described variously as the most luminous normal X-ray binaries, as hypernovae, and as "intermediate-mass" black holes with masses of hundreds to thousands of solar masses. We present results on…
The premise that Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) exist beyond the optical extent of nearby galaxies is investigated. A published catalog containing 41 ULX candidates located between 1 and ~3 times the standard D_{25} isophotal radius of…
Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources are accreting black holes that might represent strong evidence of the Intermediate Mass Black Holes (IMBH), proposed to exist by theoretical studies but with no firm detection (as a class) so far. We analyze the…
Most ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are believed to be stellar mass black holes or neutron stars accreting beyond the Eddington limit. Determining the nature of the compact object and the accretion mode from broadband spectroscopy is…
Two {\it ASCA} observations were made of two ultra-luminous compact X-ray sources (ULXs), Source 1 and Source 2, in the spiral galaxy IC 342. In the 1993 observation, Source 2 showed a 0.5--10 keV luminosity of $6 \times 10^{39}$ ergs…
Recent Chandra and XMM-Newton surveys have uncovered a large fraction of the obscured AGN responsible of the hard X-ray background. One of the most intriguing results of extensive programs of follow-up observations concerns the optical and…
The known members of the class of hyperluminous X-ray sources (HLXs) are few in number, yet they are of great interest as they are regarded as the likeliest intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) candidates amongst the wider population of…
Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are a class of accreting compact objects with X-ray luminosities above 1e39 erg/s. The ULX population counts several hundreds objects but only a minor fraction is well studied. Here we present a detailed…
Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are our best laboratories for studying extreme super-Eddington accretion. Most studies of these objects are of relatively persistent sources, however there is growing evidence to suggest a large fraction…
A large fraction of X-ray sources in our Galaxy are low-mass X-ray binaries, containing a black hole or a neutron star accreting from a gravitationally bound low-mass ($\leq$1 M$_\odot$) companion star. These systems are among the older…
Estimation of the black hole mass in bright X-ray sources of nearby galaxies is crucial to the understanding of these systems and their formation. However, the present allowed black hole mass range spans five order of magnitude (10Msun < M…
Hyperluminous supersoft X-ray sources, such as bright extragalactic sources characterized by particularly soft X-ray spectra, offer a unique opportunity to study accretion onto supermassive black holes in extreme conditions. Examples of…
Using archival data from Suzaku, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR, nine representative Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in nearby galaxies were studied. Their X-ray spectra were all reproduced with a multi-color disk emission model plus its…
We show that ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with coherent X-ray pulsing (PULXs) probably have neutron-star spin axes significantly misaligned from their central accretion discs. Scattering in the funnels collimating their emission and…
The brightest Ultra-Luminous X-ray source HLX-1 in the galaxy ESO 243-49 currently provides strong evidence for the existence of intermediate mass black holes. Here we present the latest multi-wavelength results on this intriguing source in…
We investigate outflows and the physics of super-Eddington versus sub-Eddington regimes in black hole systems. Our focus is on prospective science using next-generation high-resolution soft X-ray instruments. We highlight the properties of…
We report on the discovery of a new, transient ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in the galaxy NGC 7090. This new ULX, which we refer to as NGC 7090 ULX3, was discovered via monitoring with $Swift$ during 2019-20, and to date has exhibited a…
Constraining the astrophysical nature of Ultra-Luminous X-ray (ULX) sources, which have X-ray luminosities exceeding 10^39 erg/s, has been elusive due to the optical faintness of any counterparts. With high spectral resolution observations…