49 research outputs found
GRAVITY Spectro-interferometric Study of the Massive Multiple Stellar System HD 93206 A
Characterization of the dynamics of massive star systems and the astrophysical properties of the interacting components are a prerequisite for understanding their formation and evolution. Optical interferometry at milliarcsecond resolution is a key observing technique for resolving high-mass multiple compact systems. Here, we report on Very Large Telescope Interferometer/GRAVITY, Magellan/Folded-port InfraRed Echellette, and MPG2.2 m/FEROS observations of the late-O/early-B type system HD 93206 A, which is a member of the massive cluster Collinder 228 in the Carina nebula complex. With a total mass of about , it is one of the most compact massive quadruple systems known. In addition to measuring the separation and position angle of the outer binary AaâAc, we observe BrÎł and He i variability in phase with the orbital motion of the two inner binaries. From the differential phase () analysis, we conclude that the BrÎł emission arises from the interaction regions within the components of the individual binaries, which is consistent with previous models for the X-ray emission of the system based on windâwind interaction. With an average 3Ï deviation of , we establish an upper limit of p ~ 0.157 mas (0.35 au) for the size of the BrÎł line-emitting region. Future interferometric observations with GRAVITY using the 8 m Unit Telescopes will allow us to constrain the line-emitting regions down to angular sizes of 20 ÎŒas (0.05 au at the distance of the Carina nebula)
The outer orbit of the high-mass stellar triple system Herschelâ36 determined with the VLTI
Multiplicity is a ubiquitous characteristic of massive stars. Multiple systems offer us a unique observational constraint on the formation of high-mass systems. Herschelâ36âA is a massive triple system composed of a close binary (Ab1-Ab2) and an outer component (Aa). We measured the orbital motion of the outer component of Herschelâ36âA using infrared interferometry with the AMBER and PIONIER instruments of ESOâs Very Large Telescope Interferometer. Our immediate aims are to constrain the masses of all components of this system and to determine if the outer orbit is co-planar with the inner one. Reported spectroscopic data for all two components of this system and our interferometric data allow us to derive full orbital solutions for the outer orbit Aa-Ab and the inner orbit Ab1-Ab2. For the first time, we derive the absolute masses of mAa = 22.3 ± 1.7, mAb1 = 20.5 ± 1.5, and mAb2 = 12.5 ± 0.9 Mâ. Despite not being able to resolve the close binary components, we infer the inclination of their orbit by imposing the same parallax as the outer orbit. Inclinations derived from the inner and outer orbits imply a modest difference of about 22° between the orbital planes. We discuss this result and the formation of Herschel 36âA in the context of Core Accretion and Competitive Accretion models, which make different predictions regarding the statistic of the relative orbital inclinations. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.RS and AA acknowledge financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the âCenter of Excellence Severo Ochoaâ award for the Instituto de AstrofĂsica de AndalucĂa (SEV-2017-0709). RS acknowledges financial support from national project PGC2018-095049-B-C21 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). AA acknowledges financial support from national project PID2020-117404GB-C21 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). JSB acknowledges the financial support from the âVisitor Scientist Programâ of the âCenter of Excellence Severo Ochoaâ provided by the IAA-CSIC; and to the âESO-Garching Visitor Programâ of the European Southern Observatory. This work presents results from the European Space Agency (ESA) space mission Gaia. Gaia data are being processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC). Funding for the DPAC is provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia MultiLateral Agreement (MLA).Peer reviewe
Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VII. Understanding the Ultraviolet Anomaly in NGC 5548 with X-Ray Spectroscopy
During the Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project observations of NGC 5548, the continuum and emission-line variability became decorrelated during the second half of the six-month-long observing campaign. Here we present Swift and Chandra X-ray spectra of NGC 5548 obtained as part of the campaign. The Swift spectra show that excess flux (relative to a power-law continuum) in the soft X-ray band appears before the start of the anomalous emission-line behavior, peaks during the period of the anomaly, and then declines. This is a model-independent result suggesting that the soft excess is related to the anomaly. We divide the Swift data into on- and off-anomaly spectra to characterize the soft excess via spectral fitting. The cause of the spectral differences is likely due to a change in the intrinsic spectrum rather than to variable obscuration or partial covering. The Chandra spectra have lower signal-to-noise ratios, but are consistent with the Swift data. Our preferred model of the soft excess is emission from an optically thick, warm Comptonizing corona, the effective optical depth of which increases during the anomaly. This model simultaneously explains all three observations: the UV emission-line flux decrease, the soft-excess increase, and the emission-line anomaly