Gravitational waves from remnants of ultraluminous X-ray sources
Abstract
Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with X-ray luminosities larger than the Eddington luminosity of stellar-mass objects may be powered by intermediate-mass black holes (IBHs) of masses M∙~ 103 Msolar. If IBHs form in young dense stellar clusters, they can be fed by Roche lobe overflow from a tidally captured massive (M* > 10 Msolar) stellar companion. After the donor leaves the main sequence it forms a compact remnant, which spirals in as a result of gravitational wave (GW) emission. We show that space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna are likely to detect several of these sources. GW sources stemming from this scenario have small eccentricities which give distinct GW signals. Detection of such a GW signal will unambiguously prove the existence of IBHs, and support the hypothesis that some ULXs are powered by IBHs with captured companions.
- Publication:
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Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- October 2005
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0506181
- Bibcode:
- 2005MNRAS.363L..56H
- Keywords:
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- black hole physics;
- gravitational waves;
- stellar dynamics;
- galaxies: star clusters;
- X-rays: binaries;
- Astrophysics;
- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
- E-Print:
- Minor changes