Optical eclipses and precession effects in the X-ray binaries SMC X-1 and Centaurus X-3

Details Optical eclipses and precession effects in the X-ray binaries SMC X-1 and Centaurus X-3 Optical eclipses and precession effects in the X-ray binaries SMC X-1 and Centaurus X-3

Feb 1983

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1983azh....60...57k&link_type=abstract

(Astronomicheskii Zhurnal, vol. 60, Jan.-Feb. 1983, p. 57-71) Soviet Astronomy (ISSN 0038-5301), vol. 27, Jan.-Feb. 1983, p. 35-

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

8

Centaurus Constellation, Eclipsing Binary Stars, Magellanic Clouds, X Ray Binaries, X Ray Sources, Gas Streams, Light Curve, Neutron Stars, Precession, Spectrum Analysis, Stellar Mass Accretion, Stellar Rotation, Stellar Spectrophotometry, Ubv Spectra, Variable Stars, Visible Spectrum

Scientific paper

The published B, V photometry for the X-ray binary systems SMC X-1 and Cen X-3, both of which are eclipsing variables in the optical range, is analyzed. The V amplitude of the 'pure' ellipsoidal variability is determined to be approximately 0.08 m for SMC X-1 and approximately 0.05 m for Cen X-3, whereas the total amplitude of the optical variability is found to be approximately 0.11 m and 0.09 m, respectively. A significant reflection effect is also found for the SMC X-1 system. The long-period (precessional) variability in both shape and amplitude of the optical light curves is found to have a period of 35.25 d for SMC X-1 and 26.1 d for Cen X-3. A 26.1 d cycle is also detected in the intensity variations of the X-ray dips in Cen X-3, which indirectly shows that the optical-star rotation axis is precessing. The long-period variability is determined to be induced by changes in the orientation of the eclipsing gas streams and accretion structure, whereas in the case of SMC X-1 the long-term variations are also found to result from the changing conditions whereby the powerful X-ray emission of the accreting neutron star heats the optical star. These effects indicate a forced precession of the optical-star rotation axis.

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