Cygnus X-3, an X-ray binary system located some 7,400 parsecs (24,136 light-years) in the constellation of Cygnus, represents a class of ultra-luminous X-ray sources, according to an analysis of data from NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).
“X-ray binaries are intriguing systems consisting of two celestial bodies: a normal star and a compact, object such as a black hole or a neutron star that sucks material from its stellar companion,” explained University of Turku astronomer Alexandra Veledina and her colleagues.
“A few hundred such sources have been identified thus far in our Milky Way Galaxy.”
“When it comes to the most powerful phenomena in the Universe, the release of gravitational energy in X-ray binary systems stands out as a highly efficient process.”
“Among the first X-ray binary systems discovered in the cosmos is the system Cygnus X-3,” they added.
“Since the early 1970s, this binary system was noted for its ability to briefly emerge as one of the most intense radio sources, yet in a few days it dims or vanishes altogether.”
“This peculiar characteristic spurred early efforts, coordinated by telephone calls, to unite astronomical observations across the globe.”
“The unique behavior of the system during these short-lived, highly energetic events, contrasting its otherwise normal nature, led to it being dubbed the ‘astronomical puzzle Cygnus X-3’ by R.M. Hjellming in 1973.”
“Numerous efforts have been aimed at understanding its nature ever since.”
Using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, Dr. Veledina and co-authors measured the X-ray polarization in Cygnus X-3.
“The X-ray polarized vision provided insights into the configuration of matter surrounding the compact object in Cygnus X-3,” they said.
“We discovered that the compact object is surrounded by an envelope of a dense, opaque matter.”
“The light that we observe is a reflection off the inner funnel walls formed by the surrounding gas, resembling a cup with a mirror interior.”
“Cygnus X-3 is a member of the class of ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), which consume matter at such a gargantuan rate that a considerable fraction of the infalling material does not fit inside the event horizon, but rather is being spat away from the system.”
“ULXs are typically observed as luminous spots in the images of distant galaxies, with their emissions amplified by the focusing effects of the compact object’s surrounding funnel, acting akin to a megaphone,” said University of Turku’s Professor Juri Poutanen.
“However, due to the vast distances to these sources, thousands of times beyond the span of the Milky Way, they appear relatively faint to X-ray telescopes.”
“Our discovery has now unveiled a bright counterpart of these distant ULXs residing within our own Galaxy.”
“This significant finding marks a new chapter in the investigation of this extraordinary cosmic source, offering an opportunity for in-depth exploration of extreme matter consumption.”
The results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
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A. Veledina et al. Cygnus X-3 revealed as a Galactic ultraluminous X-ray source by IXPE. Nat Astron, published online June 21, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02294-9
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