SIMBAD references

2025ApJ...981...50D - Astrophys. J., 981, 50 (2025/March-1)

Fifteen Years of M31* X-Ray Variability and Flares.

DIKERBY S., ZHANG S. and IRWIN J.

Abstract (from CDS):

We append an additional 15 yr (2009-2024) to the Chandra X-ray light curve of M31*, the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of M31, the Andromeda galaxy. Extending and expanding on the work in Z. Li et al., we show that M31* has remained in an elevated X-ray state from 2006 through at least 2016 (when regular Chandra monitoring ceased) and likely through 2024, with the most recent observations still showing an elevated X-ray flux. We identify one moderate flare in 2013 where the other nuclear X-ray sources are in low-flux states, making that flare a valuable target for follow-up with multiwavelength and multimessenger archival data. We extract a mostly uncontaminated spectrum for M31* from this observation, showing that its X-ray properties are similar to those observed at Sgr A* in its quiescent state by Baganoff et al. Furthermore, we find no substantial change in the source's hardness ratio in the 2006 and 2013 flares compared to the post-2006 elevated state, suggesting the these flares are increases in the regular X-ray emission mechanisms instead of entirely new emission modes. Our extended light curve for M31* provides valuable context for multimessenger or multiwavelength observations of nearby SMBHs.

Abstract Copyright: © 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): X-ray sources - X-ray astronomy - Supermassive black holes - Andromeda Galaxy - High energy astrophysics - Black holes

Simbad objects: 9

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