ASCA Observations of the Unusual Wolf-Rayet Star HD50896 (= EZ CMa)

Details ASCA Observations of the Unusual Wolf-Rayet Star HD50896 (= EZ CMa) ASCA Observations of the Unusual Wolf-Rayet Star HD50896 (= EZ CMa)

Dec 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996aas...189.7717s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 189th AAS Meeting, #77.17; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.1375

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Scientific paper

We present initial results from a 30 ksec ASCA X-ray observation of the unusual WN5 Wolf-Rayet star HD50896 (= EZ CMa). This star has a well-documented (but poorly understood) optical period of 3.766 d and is a candidate WR + neutron star binary system. The ASCA observation reveals a prominent X-ray source with an observed (absorbed) flux of 1.1 x 10(-12) ergs cm(-2) s(-1) (0.5 - 10 keV), corresponding to a luminosity Lx = 4.3 x 10(32) ergs s(-1) at a distance of 1.8 kpc. The X-ray light curve shows no significant variability during the ~21 hours spanning the observation, down to a sensitivity-limited time resolution of ~512 s. Spectra from the solid-state imaging spectrometers (SIS) show prominent emission lines from Si and S, implying a thermal emission mechanism. Acceptable fits with an optically thin plasma model require a cool component at kT ~ 0.6 keV (~7 MK) viewed through a modest absorption column NH = 4 x 10(20) cm(-2) and an additional hotter component viewed through heavier absorption. We discuss these new ASCA data in the context of various emission models including wind shocks and accretion onto a neutron star companion.

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