| Name | 060242 |
| Title | An Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Source with a Period of 55 Days |
| URL | https://nxsa.esac.esa.int/nxsa-sl/servlet/data-action-aio?obsno=0602420201 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-gfsnpq1 |
| Author | Dr Stefan Immler |
| Description | A new ultra-luminous X-rays source (ULX) was recently discovered with Swift in NGC 6643. 200 days of Swift XRT coverage revealed an apparently periodic rise and fall of the X-ray flux with a period of around 55 days. Only two other periodic ULXs are know to date. We propose five 10 ks XMM-Newton EPIC observations to confirm and measure the period with high precision, needed to derive the mass of the mass donating object, and to study spectral changes at different phases to investigate changes in the accretion process. Together with our existing Swift XRT, Chandra ACIS, VLA radio and Keck UBRI data, the XMM-Newton observations will invigorate discussions about the nature of ULXs and whether these enigmatic sources are due to accreting black holes are super-Eddington neutron stars. |
| Publication | No observations found associated with the current proposal |
| Instrument | EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2 |
| Temporal Coverage | 2009-06-30T12:58:39Z/2009-08-23T15:42:54Z |
| Version | 17.56_20190403_1200 |
| Mission Description | The European Space Agency's (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESA's second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earth's atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis. |
| Creator Contact | https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/xmm-newton-helpdesk |
| Date Published | 2010-09-08T00:00:00Z |
| Publisher And Registrant | European Space Agency |
| Credit Guidelines | European Space Agency, 2010-09-08T00:00:00Z, 060242, 17.56_20190403_1200. https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-gfsnpq1 |