The Optical Counterpart of an Ultraluminous X-ray Source NGC6946 ULX-1

Abstract

We present a study of a peculiar nebula MF16 associated with an Ultraluminous X-ray Source NGC6946 ULX-1. We use integral-field and long-slit spectral data obtained with the 6-m telescope (Russia). The nebula was for a long time considered powered by strong shocks enhancing both high-excitation and low-excitation lines. However, kinematical properties point to rather moderate expansion rates (V ~ 100-200 km/s). The total power of the emission-line source exceeds by one or two orders of magnitude the power observed expansion rate can provide, that points towards the existence of an additional source of excitation and ionization. Using CLOUDY96.01 photoionization code we derive the properties of the photoionizing source. Its total UV/EUV luminosity must be about 10^{40} erg/s.