Exploring the X-ray universe via timing: mass of the active galactic nucleus black hole XMMUJ134736.6+173403

Abstract

A strong quasi-periodic modulation has recently been revealed in the X-ray flux of the X-ray source XMMUJ134736.6+173403. The two observed twin-peak quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) exhibit a 3:1 frequency ratio and strongly support the evidence for the presence of an active galactic nucleus black hole (AGN BH). It has been suggested that detections of twin-peak QPOs with commensurable frequency ratios and scaling of their periods with BH mass could provide the basis for a method intended to determine the mass of BH sources, such as AGNs. Assuming the orbital origin of QPOs, we calculate the upper and lower limit on the AGN BH mass M, reaching M ≍ 107–109M⊙. Compared to mass estimates of other sources, XMMUJ134736.6+173403 appears to be the most massive source with commensurable QPO frequencies, and its mass represents the current observational upper limit on the AGN BH mass obtained from the QPO observations.