X-ray and Radio Variability of M31, The Andromeda Galaxy Nuclear Supermassive Black Hole

We confirm our earlier tentative detection of M31* in X-rays and measure its light curve and spectrum. Observations in 2004-2005 find M31* rather quiescent in the X-ray and radio. However, X-ray observations in 2006-2007 show M31* to be highly variable at times. A separate variable X-ray source is f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2010-02, Vol.710 (1), p.755-763
Main Authors: Garcia, Michael R, Hextall, Richard, Baganoff, Frederick K, Galache, Jose, Melia, Fulvio, Murray, Stephen S, Primini, F. A, Sjouwerman, Loránt O, Williams, Ben
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACCRETION DISKS
Astronomy
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
BLACK HOLES
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
MATHEMATICS
POINT SOURCES
RADIATION SOURCES
SPECTRA
STATISTICS
X-RAY SOURCES
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Summary:We confirm our earlier tentative detection of M31* in X-rays and measure its light curve and spectrum. Observations in 2004-2005 find M31* rather quiescent in the X-ray and radio. However, X-ray observations in 2006-2007 show M31* to be highly variable at times. A separate variable X-ray source is found near P1, the brighter of the two optical nuclei. The apparent angular Bondi radius of M31* is the largest of any black hole and large enough to be well resolved with Chandra. The diffuse emission within this Bondi radius is found to have an X-ray temperature {approx}0.3 keV and density 0.1 cm{sup -3}, indistinguishable from the hot gas in the surrounding regions of the bulge given the statistics allowed by the current observations. The X-ray source at the location of M31* is consistent with a point source and a power-law spectrum with energy slope 0.9 +- 0.2. Our identification of this X-ray source with M31* is based solely on positional coincidence.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/710/1/755