The X-Ray Luminosity Function of Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources in Collisional Ring Galaxies

Abstract

Ring galaxies are fascinating laboratories: a catastrophic impact between two galaxies (one not much smaller than the other) has produced fireworks, especially in the larger one, when hit roughly perpendicularly to the plane. We analyze the point sources produced by the starburst episode following the impact in the rings of seven galaxies and determine their X-ray luminosity function (XLF). In total, we detect 63 sources, of which 50 have luminosity L <SUB>X</SUB> ≥ 10<SUP>39</SUP> erg s<SUP>-1</SUP>, classifying them as ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). We find that the total XLF is not significantly different from XLFs derived for other kinds of galaxies, with a tendency of having a larger fraction of high X-ray luminosity objects. Both the total number of ULXs and the number of ULXs per unit star formation rate are found in the upper envelope of the more normal galaxies distribution. Further analysis would be needed to address the issue of the nature of the compact component in the binary system.