2013ApJ...774L..16P

We have analyzed all archival Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer/Proportional Counter Array monitoring observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source M82 X-1 in order to study the properties of its 62 day X-ray period, which was found by Kaaret and Feng in 2007. Based on its high coherence, it has been argued that the observed period is the orbital period of the binary. Utilizing a much longer data set than in previous studies, we find the following. (1) The phase-resolved X-ray (3-15 keV) spectra–modeled with a thermal accretion disk and a power law–suggest that the accretion disk's contribution to the total flux is strongly modulated with phase. (2) Suggestive evidence for a sudden phase shift of approximately 0.4 in phase (25 days) between the first and the second halves of the light curve separated by roughly 1000 days. If confirmed, the implied timescale to change the period is ∼10 yr, which is exceptionally fast for an orbital phenomenon. These two independent pieces of evidence are consistent with the periodicity being due to a precessing accretion disk, similar to the super-orbital periods observed in systems like Her X-1, LMC X-4, and SS433. However, the timing evidence for a change in the period needs to be confirmed with additional observations. This should be possible with further monitoring of M82 with instruments such as the Swift X-Ray Telescope.