scholarly journals High-mass X-ray binaries as a star formation rate indicator in distant galaxies

2003 ◽  
Vol 339 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.- J. Grimm ◽  
M. Gilfanov ◽  
R. Sunyaev
2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (4) ◽  
pp. 5967-5984 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Kouroumpatzakis ◽  
A Zezas ◽  
P Sell ◽  
K Kovlakas ◽  
P Bonfini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT X-ray luminosity (LX) originating from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is tightly correlated with the host galaxy’s star formation rate (SFR). We explore this connection at sub-galactic scales spanning ∼7 dex in SFR and ∼8 dex in specific SFR (sSFR). There is good agreement with established relations down to SFR ≃ 10−3 M$_{\odot }\, \rm {yr^{-1}}$, below which an excess of X-ray luminosity emerges. This excess likely arises from low-mass X-ray binaries. The intrinsic scatter of the LX–SFR relation is constant, not correlated with SFR. Different star formation indicators scale with LX in different ways, and we attribute the differences to the effect of star formation history. The SFR derived from H α shows the tightest correlation with X-ray luminosity because H α emission probes stellar populations with ages similar to HMXB formation time-scales, but the H α-based SFR is reliable only for $\rm sSFR{\gt }10^{-12}$ M$_{\odot }\, \rm {yr^{-1}}$/M⊙.


2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. L10 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Schaerer ◽  
T. Fragos ◽  
Y. I. Izotov

The origin of nebular He II emission, which is frequently observed in low-metallicity (O/H) star-forming galaxies, remains largely an unsolved question. Using the observed anticorrelation of the integrated X-ray luminosity per unit of star formation rate (LX/SFR) of an X-ray binary population with metallicity and other empirical data from the well-studied galaxy I Zw 18, we show that the observed He II λ4686 intensity and its trend with metallicity is naturally reproduced if the bulk of He+ ionizing photons are emitted by the X-ray sources. We also show that a combination of X-ray binary population models with normal single and/or binary stellar models reproduces the observed I(4686)/I(Hβ) intensities and its dependency on metallicity and age. We conclude that both empirical data and theoretical models suggest that high-mass X-ray binaries are the main source of nebular He II emission in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S341) ◽  
pp. 162-166
Author(s):  
K. Kouroumpatzakis ◽  
A. Zezas ◽  
P. H. Sell ◽  
P. Bonfini ◽  
M. L. N. Ashby ◽  
...  

AbstractIt is well known that X-ray luminosity (Lx) originating from high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is tightly correlated with the host galaxy’s star formation rate (SFR). We explore this connection using a sample representative of the star-formation activity in the local Universe (Star-Formation Reference Survey; SFRS) along with a comprehensive set of star-formation (radio, FIR, 24μm, 8 μm, Hα, UV, SED fitting) and stellar mass (K-band, 3.6 μm, SED fitting) indicators, and Chandra observations. We investigate the Lx–SFR and Lx– stellar mass (M*) scaling relations down to sub-galactic scales of ∼lkpc2. This way we extend these relations to extremely low SFR (∼10−6M⊙.yr−1) and M* (∼104M⊙). We also quantify their scatter and their dependence on the age of the local stellar populations as inferred from the different age sensitive SFR indicators. These results are particularly important for setting the benchmark for the formation of X-ray binaries in vigorous, but low SFR objects such as galaxies in the early Universe.


2017 ◽  
Vol 470 (1) ◽  
pp. 606-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brorby ◽  
P. Kaaret

Abstract X-ray observations of two metal-deficient luminous compact galaxies (LCG; SHOC 486 and SDSS J084220.94+115000.2) with properties similar to the so-called Green Pea galaxies were obtained using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Green Pea galaxies are relatively small, compact (a few kpc across) galaxies that get their green colour from strong [O iii] λ5007 Å emission, an indicator of intense, recent star formation. These two galaxies were predicted to have the highest observed count rates, using the X-ray luminosity–star formation rate (LX–SFR) relation for X-ray binaries, from a statistically complete sample drawn from optical criteria. We determine the X-ray luminosity relative to SFR and metallicity for these two galaxies. Neither exhibits any evidence of active galactic nuclei, and we suspect that the X-ray emission originates from unresolved populations of high-mass X-ray binaries. We discuss the LX–SFR–metallicity plane for star-forming galaxies and show that the two LCGs are consistent with the prediction of this relation. This is the first detection of Green Pea analogues in X-rays.


2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (1) ◽  
pp. 771-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca M Fornasini ◽  
Francesca Civano ◽  
Hyewon Suh

ABSTRACT The integrated X-ray luminosity (LX) of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in a galaxy is correlated with its star formation rate (SFR), and the normalization of this correlation increases with redshift. Population synthesis models suggest that the redshift evolution of LX/SFR is driven by the metallicity (Z) dependence of HMXBs, and the first direct evidence of this connection was recently presented using galaxies at z ∼ 2. To confirm this result with more robust measurements and better constrain the LX–SFR–Z relation, we have studied the Z dependence of LX/SFR at lower redshifts. Using samples of star-forming galaxies at z = 0.1–0.9 with optical spectra from the hCOSMOS and zCOSMOS surveys, we stacked Chandra data from the COSMOS Legacy survey to measure the average LX/SFR as a function of Z in three redshift ranges: z = 0.1–0.25, 0.25–0.4, and 0.5–0.9. We find no significant variation of the LX–SFR–Z relation with redshift. Our results provide further evidence that the Z dependence of HMXBs is responsible for the redshift evolution of LX/SFR. Combining all available z > 0 measurements together, we derive a best-fitting LX–SFR–Z relation and assess how different population synthesis models describe the data. These results provide the strongest constraints to date on the LX–SFR–Z relation in the range of 8.0 < 12 + log(O/H) < 9.0.


2019 ◽  
Vol 487 (3) ◽  
pp. 4093-4101 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Bluem ◽  
P Kaaret ◽  
A Prestwich ◽  
M Brorby

ABSTRACT X-ray binaries may have helped reionize the early Universe by enabling Lyman continuum escape. We analysed a set of eight local galaxies that are potential Lyman leaking galaxies, identified by a blue colour and weak emission lines, using Chandra X-ray observations. Five of the galaxies feature X-ray sources, while three galaxies are not significantly detected in X-rays. X-ray luminosities were found for the galaxies and X-ray sources. Four of the galaxies have elevated X-ray luminosity versus what would be expected based on star formation rate and metallicity. The presence of detected X-ray sources within the galaxies is found to correlate with the ratio of the star formation rate estimated from the near-ultraviolet flux to that estimated from the infrared. This implies reduced obscuration due to dust in the galaxies with X-ray sources. These results support the idea that X-ray binaries may be an important part of the process of reionziation.


Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 303
Author(s):  
Mark J. Henriksen

We investigate the origin of intergalactic light (IGL) in close groups of galaxies. IGL is hypothesized to be the byproduct of interaction and merger within compact groups. Comparing the X-ray point source population in our sample of compact groups that have intergalactic light with compact groups without IGL, we find marginal evidence for a small increase in ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs). There is also a significant bias towards lower luminosity high mass X-ray binaries (HMXRBs). We interpret this as an indication that groups with visible IGL represent a later evolutionary phase than other compact groups. They have galaxies characterized by quenching of star formation (lower star formation rate (SFR) inferred from lower HMXRB luminosity) after stellar material has been removed from the galaxies into the intergalactic medium, which is the source of the IGL. We conclude that the presence of an increased fraction of ULXs is due to past interaction and mergers within groups that have IGL.


2015 ◽  
Vol 453 (1) ◽  
pp. 591-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Stanley ◽  
C. M. Harrison ◽  
D. M. Alexander ◽  
A. M. Swinbank ◽  
J. A. Aird ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 941-957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Senchyna ◽  
Daniel P Stark ◽  
Jordan Mirocha ◽  
Amy E Reines ◽  
Stéphane Charlot ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Despite significant progress both observationally and theoretically, the origin of high-ionization nebular He ii emission in galaxies dominated by stellar photoionization remains unclear. Accretion-powered radiation from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is still one of the leading proposed explanations for the missing He+-ionizing photons, but this scenario has yet to be conclusively tested. In this paper, we present nebular line predictions from a grid of photoionization models with input spectral energy distributions containing the joint contribution of both stellar atmospheres and a multicolour disc model for HMXBs. This grid demonstrates that HMXBs are inefficient producers of the photons necessary to power He ii, and can only boost this line substantially in galaxies with HMXB populations large enough to power X-ray luminosities of 1042 erg s−1 per unit star formation rate (SFR). To test this, we assemble a sample of 11 low-redshift star-forming galaxies with high-quality constraints on both X-ray emission from Chandra and He ii emission from deep optical spectra, including new observations with the MMT. These data reveal that the HMXB populations of these nearby systems are insufficient to account for the observed He ii strengths, with typical X-ray luminosities or upper limits thereon of only 1040–1041 erg s−1 per SFR. This indicates that HMXBs are not the dominant source of He+ ionization in these metal-poor star-forming galaxies. We suggest that the solution may instead reside in revisions to stellar wind predictions, softer X-ray sources, or very hot products of binary evolution at low metallicity.


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