Radio Emission from an Ultraluminous X-Ray Source

Abstract

The physical nature of ultraluminous x-ray sources is uncertain. Stellar mass black holes with beamed radiation and intermediate mass black holes with isotropic radiation are two plausible explanations. We discovered radio emission from an ultraluminous x-ray source in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 5408. The x-ray, radio and optical fluxes as well as the x-ray spectral shape are consistent with beamed relativistic jet emission from an accreting stellar black hole. If confirmed, this would suggest that the ultraluminous x-ray sources may be stellar-mass rather than intermediate mass black holes. However, interpretation of the source as a jet-producing intermediate-mass black hole cannot be ruled out at this time.