Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes
Intermediate-mass black holes (10 ^2 < M _BH < 10 ^5 M _⊙ ) are an open question in our understanding of black hole evolution and growth. They have long been linked to dense star cluster environments, thanks to cluster dynamics, but there are a limited number of secure detections. We levera...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9d37 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832542880714981376 |
|---|---|
| author | Kristen C. Dage Evangelia Tremou Bolivia Cuevas Otahola Eric W. Koch Kwangmin Oh Richard M. Plotkin Vivian L. Tang Muhammad Ridha Aldhalemi Zainab Bustani Mariam Ismail Fawaz Hans J. Harff Amna Khalyleh Timothy McBride Jesse Mason Anthony Preston Cortney Rinehart Ethan Vinson Gemma Anderson Edward M. Cackett Shih Ching Fu Sebastian Kamann Teresa Panurach Renuka Pechetti Payaswini Saikia Susmita Sett Ryan Urquhart Christopher Usher |
| author_facet | Kristen C. Dage Evangelia Tremou Bolivia Cuevas Otahola Eric W. Koch Kwangmin Oh Richard M. Plotkin Vivian L. Tang Muhammad Ridha Aldhalemi Zainab Bustani Mariam Ismail Fawaz Hans J. Harff Amna Khalyleh Timothy McBride Jesse Mason Anthony Preston Cortney Rinehart Ethan Vinson Gemma Anderson Edward M. Cackett Shih Ching Fu Sebastian Kamann Teresa Panurach Renuka Pechetti Payaswini Saikia Susmita Sett Ryan Urquhart Christopher Usher |
| author_sort | Kristen C. Dage |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Intermediate-mass black holes (10 ^2 < M _BH < 10 ^5 M _⊙ ) are an open question in our understanding of black hole evolution and growth. They have long been linked to dense star cluster environments, thanks to cluster dynamics, but there are a limited number of secure detections. We leverage existing X-ray observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical catalogs from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as well as new radio observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to search for any evidence of accreting black holes in young massive star clusters in the nearby galaxy M51. We find that of 44 bright ( L _X > 10 ^38 erg s ^−1 ) X-ray point sources in M51, 24 had probable matches to objects including possible associated star clusters in the HST Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey catalog, seven of which were classified as contaminants (background galaxies or foreground stars). We explore the optical properties of the remaining 17 sources, including cluster age and mass estimates, and search for radio counterparts in the 8–12 GHz band. The lack of radio counterparts to X-ray sources we know to be associated with young massive star clusters in M51 suggests that we do not significantly detect hard-state intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) ~10 ^4 M _⊙ or above. However, more sensitive radio facilities, like the Square Kilometre Array and next-generation Very Large Array, may be able to provide evidence for IMBHs with masses down to ~10 ^3 M _⊙ . |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-29ad1aecf9e84a1fa827bbc60f3755e5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-29ad1aecf9e84a1fa827bbc60f3755e52025-02-03T12:58:19ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0197918210.3847/1538-4357/ad9d37Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black HolesKristen C. Dage0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8532-4025Evangelia Tremou1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4039-6703Bolivia Cuevas Otahola2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1046-1500Eric W. Koch3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9605-780XKwangmin Oh4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9672-3742Richard M. Plotkin5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7092-0326Vivian L. Tang6https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7709-5474Muhammad Ridha Aldhalemi7https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9310-020XZainab Bustani8https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8696-9892Mariam Ismail Fawaz9https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2051-1304Hans J. Harff10https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5976-8120Amna Khalyleh11https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6403-8903Timothy McBride12https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9611-1774Jesse Mason13https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2324-0738Anthony Preston14https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8689-3476Cortney Rinehart15https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7561-6753Ethan Vinson16https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1543-4514Gemma Anderson17https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6544-8007Edward M. Cackett18https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8294-9281Shih Ching Fu19https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9077-6026Sebastian Kamann20https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6604-0505Teresa Panurach21https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8424-2848Renuka Pechetti22https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1670-0808Payaswini Saikia23https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5319-6620Susmita Sett24https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9261-1738Ryan Urquhart25https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1814-8620Christopher Usher26https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7383-7106International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research—Curtin University , GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia ; kristen.dage@curtin.edu.auNational Radio Astronomy Observatory , Socorro, NM 87801, USADepartamento de Matemáticas-FCE , Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, 72000, MexicoCenter for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USACenter for Data Intensive and Time Domain Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, USADepartment of Physics, University of Nevada , Reno, NV 89557, USA; Nevada Center for Astrophysics, University of Nevada , Las Vegas, NV 89154, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California , 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAHenry Ford College , 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128, USAInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research—Curtin University , GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia ; kristen.dage@curtin.edu.auDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Wayne State University , 666 W. Hancock Sreet, Detroit, MI 48201, USAInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research—Curtin University , GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia ; kristen.dage@curtin.edu.auAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University , IC2 Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UKCenter for Materials Research, Department of Physics, Norfolk State University , Norfolk VA 23504, USAAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University , IC2 Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UKCenter for Astro, Particle and Planetary Physics, New York University Abu Dhabi , PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, UAEInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research—Curtin University , GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia ; kristen.dage@curtin.edu.auCenter for Data Intensive and Time Domain Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, USAThe Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University , AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm, SwedenIntermediate-mass black holes (10 ^2 < M _BH < 10 ^5 M _⊙ ) are an open question in our understanding of black hole evolution and growth. They have long been linked to dense star cluster environments, thanks to cluster dynamics, but there are a limited number of secure detections. We leverage existing X-ray observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical catalogs from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as well as new radio observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to search for any evidence of accreting black holes in young massive star clusters in the nearby galaxy M51. We find that of 44 bright ( L _X > 10 ^38 erg s ^−1 ) X-ray point sources in M51, 24 had probable matches to objects including possible associated star clusters in the HST Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey catalog, seven of which were classified as contaminants (background galaxies or foreground stars). We explore the optical properties of the remaining 17 sources, including cluster age and mass estimates, and search for radio counterparts in the 8–12 GHz band. The lack of radio counterparts to X-ray sources we know to be associated with young massive star clusters in M51 suggests that we do not significantly detect hard-state intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) ~10 ^4 M _⊙ or above. However, more sensitive radio facilities, like the Square Kilometre Array and next-generation Very Large Array, may be able to provide evidence for IMBHs with masses down to ~10 ^3 M _⊙ .https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9d37Intermediate-mass black holesCompact objectsUltraluminous x-ray sourcesYoung star clustersStar clusters |
| spellingShingle | Kristen C. Dage Evangelia Tremou Bolivia Cuevas Otahola Eric W. Koch Kwangmin Oh Richard M. Plotkin Vivian L. Tang Muhammad Ridha Aldhalemi Zainab Bustani Mariam Ismail Fawaz Hans J. Harff Amna Khalyleh Timothy McBride Jesse Mason Anthony Preston Cortney Rinehart Ethan Vinson Gemma Anderson Edward M. Cackett Shih Ching Fu Sebastian Kamann Teresa Panurach Renuka Pechetti Payaswini Saikia Susmita Sett Ryan Urquhart Christopher Usher Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes The Astrophysical Journal Intermediate-mass black holes Compact objects Ultraluminous x-ray sources Young star clusters Star clusters |
| title | Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes |
| title_full | Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes |
| title_fullStr | Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes |
| title_short | Detecting the Black Hole Candidate Population in M51’s Young Massive Star Clusters: Constraints on Accreting Intermediate-mass Black Holes |
| title_sort | detecting the black hole candidate population in m51 s young massive star clusters constraints on accreting intermediate mass black holes |
| topic | Intermediate-mass black holes Compact objects Ultraluminous x-ray sources Young star clusters Star clusters |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9d37 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kristencdage detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT evangeliatremou detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT boliviacuevasotahola detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT ericwkoch detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT kwangminoh detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT richardmplotkin detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT vivianltang detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT muhammadridhaaldhalemi detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT zainabbustani detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT mariamismailfawaz detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT hansjharff detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT amnakhalyleh detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT timothymcbride detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT jessemason detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT anthonypreston detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT cortneyrinehart detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT ethanvinson detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT gemmaanderson detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT edwardmcackett detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT shihchingfu detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT sebastiankamann detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT teresapanurach detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT renukapechetti detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT payaswinisaikia detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT susmitasett detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT ryanurquhart detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes AT christopherusher detectingtheblackholecandidatepopulationinm51syoungmassivestarclustersconstraintsonaccretingintermediatemassblackholes |