Tracing a Z-track in the M 31 X-ray binary RX J0042.6+4115

Four XMM-Newton observations of the core of M31, spaced at 6 month intervals, show that the brightest point X-ray source, RX J0042.6 + 4115, has a 0.4 - 10 keV luminosity of similar to 5 x 10(38) erg s(-1), and exhibits significant variability in intensity and X-ray spectrum over a time scale of similar to 100 s including hard flares; such behaviour is only observed in Z-sources and transient black hole binaries in our Galaxy. The lightcurves, X-ray spectra and hardness-intensity data from the four XMM-Newton observations all strongly suggest that it is a Z-source, bringing the total number of known Z-sources to nine.