We propose simultaneous observations of four Ultraluminous X-ray sources withXMM-Newton and the hard X-ray observatory Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array(NuSTAR), to be launched in February 2012. ULXs are of prime interest, as theymay be associated with a poorly explained regime of super-Eddington accretiononto a stellar mass black hole (BH), or even contain sub-Eddington intermediatemass BHs. The combined observations spanning from 0.3 to more than 50 keV willremove the degeneracy of the emission model parameters derived frommulti-component fitting of the spectra below 10keV. This broadband study willenable detailed comparisons of the ULX timing and spectral properties with thoseof better studied Galactic BH X-ray binaries, delivering breakthrough information on ULX BHs.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2012-08-11T20:06:44Z/2013-04-29T09:09:22Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs 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 Earths 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.
European Space Agency, Prof Fiona Harrison, 2014, 'X-ray study of Ultraluminous X-ray sources with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-98cy4lj
