Enigma of ultraluminous X-ray sources may be resolved by 3D-spectroscopy (MPFS data)

Abstract

The ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) were isolated in external galaxies for the last 5 years. Their X-ray luminosities exceed 100-10000 times those of brightest Milky Way black hole binaries and they are extremely variable. There are two models for the ULXs, the best black hole candidates. 1. They are supercritical accretion disks around a stellar mass black hole like that in SS433, observed close to the disk axes. 2. They are Intermediate Mass Black Holes (of 100-10000 solar masses). Critical observations which may throw light upon the ULXs nature come from observations of nebulae around the ULXs. We present results of 3D-spectroscopy of nebulae around several ULXs located in galaxies at 3-6 Mpc distances. We found that the nebulae to be powered by their central black holes. The nebulae are shocked and dynamically perturbed probably by jets. The nebulae are compared with SS433 nebula (W50).Comment: Proceedings of the ESO and Euro3D Workshop "Science Perspectives for 3D Spectroscopy", Garching (Germany), October 10-14, 2005. M. Kissler-Patig, M.M. Roth and J.R. Walsh (eds.