M10-VLA1 was detected using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in deep radio continuum imaging at 7.4GHz, revealing a flux density of 27 ± 4 μJy and a flat to inverted radio spectrum indicative of compact emission from accretion processes. Chandra X-ray Observatory observations identified an X-ray counterpart with a luminosity of ~1031 erg/s, consistent with the radio-X-ray correlation for quiescent black holes. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging revealed ultraviolet (UV) and optical variability, while spectroscopy from the SOAR Telescope showed double-peaked Hα emission lines, suggesting an accretion disk around the companion. The optical spectrum of the visible star resembles a G-type star.[7][8]
Charecterstics
The system has an orbital period of 3.339 days, determined through spectroscopic radial velocity measurements. The visible component is a red straggler, a star brighter and redder than typical for its position in M10’s color-magnitude diagram, likely formed through dynamical interactions or a merger in the dense cluster environment. The companion’s low radial velocity semi-amplitude and the system’s properties suggest a massive companion, most likely a black hole with a mass comparable to or greater than similar systems (e.g., COM J1740–5340 in NGC 6397). The binary’s face-on orientation (inclination < 4°) explains its observed characteristics if it is a black hole X-ray binary.[9][10][11]
Messier 10
Messier 10 is a relatively loose globular cluster with a metallicity of [Fe/H] ≈ -1.5 and an age of ~12–13 billion years, containing hundreds of thousands of stars. Globular clusters like M10 are known for hosting exotic objects such as X-ray binaries due to frequent stellar encounters in their dense cores. M10-VLA1 is a significant example of such systems, potentially representing one of the few confirmed black hole binaries in a Galactic globular cluster.[12][13]
Further Research
Further observations, including deeper spectroscopy or monitoring for flares or eclipses, are needed to definitively confirm the nature of the compact companion. If confirmed as a black hole, M10-VLA1 would contribute to understanding the formation and evolution of black hole binaries in dense stellar environments.[14]
↑ Rozyczka, M.; Pych, W.; Thompson, I.B.; Mazur, B. (2020). "The Clusters AgeS Experiment (CASE). Variable Stars in the Field of the Globular Cluster NGC 3201 - a Supplement". Acta Astronomica. 70 (4): 291–299. arXiv:2001.01529. Bibcode:2020AcA....70..291R. doi:10.32023/0001-5237/70.4.3.
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