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M. J. Ward (Leicester University, England)
The existence of X-ray sources with luminosities implying 10-100's of solar masses, if emitting at the Eddington luminosity, has been suggested for more than a decade. However, a crucial recent advance has been their accurate localization, using the high spatial resolution of the Chandra observatory. This gives us the ability to separate them from multiple neighboring X-ray sources, making it possible for first time to perform detailed studies of their galactic environment, and to search for any association with emission at other wavelengths. Depending on the criteria adopted for their identification, several dozen galaxies are known to host these sources. In some cases multiple examples are found in the same galaxy. As the number statistics of these sources increase, and their X-ray spectral and temporal properties become better defined, we are beginning to make progress in answering some basic open questions such as; what influence do they have on their local ISM, what integrated properties of the host galaxy or the local environment determines the likelihood of incidence, and the fundamental question, how are they formed?