Issue |
A&A
Volume 430, Number 2, February I 2005
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | L45 - L48 | |
Section | Letters | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:200400128 | |
Published online | 20 January 2005 |
Letter to the Editor
XMM-Newton detection of type I X-ray bursts in M 31*
Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, 85741 Garching, Germany e-mail: wnp@mpe.mpg.de
Received:
2
December
2004
Accepted:
15
December
2004
We searched for X-ray bursts in XMM-Newton archival data of X-ray sources in M 31 globular clusters (GCs) and GC candidates. We detected two bursts simultaneously in EPIC pn and MOS detectors and some more candidates in EPIC pn. The energy distribution of the burst photons and the intrinsic luminosity during the peak of the bursts indicate that at least the strongest burst was a type I radius expansion burst. The bursts identify the sources as neutron star low mass X-ray binaries in M 31. The type I X-ray bursts in M 31 are the first detected outside the Milky Way and show that with the help of XMM-Newton X-ray bursts can be used to classify neutron star low mass X-ray binaries in Local Group galaxies.
Key words: galaxies: individual: M 31 / X-rays: galaxies / galaxies: star clusters / X-rays: binaries / X-rays: bursts
© ESO, 2005
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.