Within the framework of the AO17 UNSEEN XMM Large Program, we discovered a new2.8-s Pulsating ULX hosted in a massive binary system (Mc>8Msun) in M51 with anorbital period of 2 days and a super-orbital modulation of about 38 days. Beinga persistent source (unlike all the other known PULXs) it is very well suitedfor deeper studies. The present proposal is two-folded\: improving ourunderstanding of the accretion phenomena onto Neutron Stars (NSs) at extremerates and extending our knowledge of M51 ULX-7. The requested pointings,together with the archival datasets, will allow us to measure crucial orbitalparameters in order to prove whether PULXs have indeed super-Eddingtonluminosities or are mainly beamed- emitting NSs, a long standing problem in the field.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2021-11-22T06:39:08Z/2022-01-08T17:51:21Z
Version
19.16_20210326_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 GianLuca Israel, 2023, 'Too B or not too B: the quest for the PULX accretion', 19.16_20210326_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.57780/esa-o4oqdhf
