Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2004-06-07
Astrophys.J. 613 (2004) 381-386
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
17 pages, 5 figures, accepted by ApJ
Scientific paper
10.1086/423024
We report the first detection of X-ray emission associated with the Homunculus Nebula which surrounds the supermassive star Eta Carinae. The emission is characterized by a temperature in excess of 100 MK, and is consistent with scattering of the time-delayed X-ray flux associated with the star. The nebular emission is bright in the northwestern lobe and near the central regions of the Homunculus, and fainter in the southeastern lobe. We also report the detection of an unusually broad Fe K fluorescent line, which may indicate fluorescent scattering off the wind of a companion star or some other high velocity outflow. The X-ray Homunculus is the nearest member of the small class of Galactic X-ray reflection nebulae, and the only one in which both the emitting and reflecting sources are distinguishable.
Bomans Dominik
Butt Yousaf
Collins Nathan
Corcoran Michael F.
Damineli Augusto
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