The evolutionary status of ultraluminous X-ray sources |
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| Authors: | A V Tutukov A V Fedorova |
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| Institution: | (1) Institute of Astronomy, Moscow, Russia |
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| Abstract: | We analyze models for quasi-stationary, ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with luminosities 1038–1040 erg/s exceeding the Eddington limit for a ～1.4M⊙ neutron star. With the exception of relatively rare stationary ULXs that are associated with supernova remnants or background quasars, most ULXs are close binary systems containing a massive stellar black hole (BH) that accretes matter donated by a stellar companion. To explain the observed luminosities of ～1040 erg/s, the mass of the BH must be ～40M⊙ if the accreted matter is helium and ～60M⊙ if the accreted matter has the solar chemical composition. We consider donors in the form of main-sequence stars, red giants, red supergiants, degenerate helium dwarfs, heavy disks that are the remnants of disrupted degenerate dwarfs, helium nondegenerate stars, and Wolf-Rayet stars. The most common ULXs in galaxies with active star formation are BHs with Roche-lobe-filling main-sequence companions with masses ～7M⊙ or close Wolf-Rayet companions, which support the required mass-exchange rate via their strong stellar winds. The most probable candidate ULXs in old galaxies are BHs surrounded by massive disks and close binaries containing a BH and degenerate helium-dwarf, red-giant, or red-supergiant donor. |
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