Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 1975
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1975mnras.172..483j&link_type=abstract
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 172, Sept. 1975, p. 483-492.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
41
Astronomical Models, Eclipsing Binary Stars, Stellar Winds, Wakes, X Ray Stars, Electron Scattering, Neutron Stars, Optical Thickness, Stellar Luminosity, Stellar Mass, Wind Velocity, X Ray Absorption, X Ray Astronomy
Scientific paper
Recent observations of Cen X-3 show a dip in its light curve around phase 0.6. This is interpreted as being due to electron scattering in a dense wake, by which the secondary accretes material from a primary stellar wind. The phase and width of the dip yields estimates of the wind velocity and temperature. The optical depth in the wake is a function of the accretion rate to secondary mass ratio, enabling this quantity to be determined. The absorption optical depth in the stellar wind is derived and is also a function of the accretion rate and secondary mass. Assuming that the observed transition from a low to a high intensity state is caused by a fall in the wind strength, the accretion rate and secondary mass are found separately. The neutron star mass so derived is in the range 1/4 to 1/2 solar masses. The accretion rate gives the intrinsic luminosity of the source, which yields a distance of about 2.4 Kpc.
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