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SUMMARY:The Ultraluminous State - Jeanette Gladstone\, Durham University
DTSTART:20090916T154500Z
DTEND:20090916T160000Z
UID:TALK19880@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alexander Blustin
DESCRIPTION:The spectra from ultraluminous X-ray sources have been describ
 ed by several different models which give very different results for the i
 nferred black hole mass\, ranging from intermediate (>100 solar masses) to
  standard mass (~ 5 - 20 solar masses) black holes. Here we revisit the qu
 estion of the nature of ULX through a detailed investigation of their spec
 tral shape using the highest quality X-ray data currently available in the
  XMM-Newton public archives. We apply phenomenological models to character
 ise the spectra of these objects and more physically motivated models in o
 rder to explore the physical processes underlying these characteristics. R
 esults show that the spectra of these sources are fundamentally different 
 to that of Galactic X-ray binaries\, whilst the application of physical mo
 dels indicates a more extreme version of the highest known luminosity stat
 e\, the very high state. We therefore speculate that in observing ULXs we 
 are observing stellar-mass black holes residing in a new ‘ultraluminous
 ’ state. 
LOCATION:Sackler Lecture Theatre\, IoA
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