Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jul 1977
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1977apj...215l..21b&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters to the Editor, vol. 215, July 1, 1977, p. L21-L23.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
16
Eclipsing Binary Stars, Stellar Mass, X Ray Stars, Angular Velocity, Light Curve, Stellar Models, Stellar Rotation
Scientific paper
Middleditch and Nelson (1976) obtained a value of 1.30 + or - 0.14 solar masses for the mass of Her X-1 on the basis of the observed frequencies of the optical pulsations due to absorption, reprocessing, and reemission of pulsed X-ray energy from the surface of HZ Her. A more conventional estimate of the uncertainty in the mass inferred for Her X-1 from the cited optical-pulsation data is computed using those data in combination with a simple geometrical model for the optical pulsations and Uhuru X-ray observations of the mass function and the half-angle of the eclipse duration of the HZ Her/Her X-1 system. It is assumed that the surface of HZ Her is an equipotential surface of the restricted three-body potential and that HZ Her just fills its critical equipotential. The allowed ranges of masses obtained are 0.6 to 2.0 solar masses for Her X-1 and 1.6 to 2.7 solar masses for HZ Her. It is found that the calculated mass of Her X-1 is especially sensitive to the unknown rotational velocity of HZ Her.
Bahcall John N.
Chester Thomas J.
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