Light curves of SN 1998A and comparison with similar unusual SNe |
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| Authors: | Simon J. Woodings,rew J. Williams,Ralph Martin,Ronald R. Burman,& David G. Blair |
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| Affiliation: | School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT,;Universities Space Research Association/Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA,;Astronomy Department, University of Minnesota, 116 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA |
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| Abstract: | Following the proposal by Damineli that the central object of Eta Carinae may be an early-type binary, we perform numerical simulations of the X-ray emission from colliding stellar winds. A synthetic light curve has been generated which qualitatively agrees with the recent X-ray variability, and provides further support for the binary model. In particular, the model predicts a rise in the observed X-ray emission towards periastron, followed by a sharp drop and subsequent recovery. This is indeed what is seen in the RXTE light curve, although some problems concerning the X-ray spectrum at periastron still need to be explained. The simulations suggest that the width of the periastron dip will provide strong constraints on the binary and stellar wind properties of the components of Eta Car. |
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| Keywords: | hydrodynamics binaries: general stars: early-type stars: individual: Eta Car X-rays: stars |
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