The Nature of the IMBH Candidate CXO J133815.6+043255: High-frequency Radio Emission

Abstract

The ultraluminous X-ray source CXO J133815.6+043255 is a strong candidate for a bona fide intermediate-mass black hole residing in the outskirts of NGC 5252. We present 22 GHz radio observations of this source obtained serendipitously in an ongoing high-frequency imaging survey of radio-quiet Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), and use this new data point to construct the broadband radio spectral energy distribution (SED). We find that the SED exhibits a spectral slope of α = −0.66 ± 0.02, consistent with a steep spectrum from optically thin synchrotron emission from an unresolved jet. We also find that the L _R / L _X ratio is approximately 10 ^−3 , inconsistent with radio-quiet AGN and many ULXs but consistent with low-luminosity AGN and radio-loud quasars. Together, these observations support the conclusion that CXO J133815.6+043255 is an intermediate-mass black hole producing a low-mass analog of radio jets seen in classical quasars.

Keywords

• Black holes
• Intermediate-mass black holes
• Active galactic nuclei