2007/02/28 by Amit Kashi, Noam Soker · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11908.x
published as Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.378:1609-1618,2007 · Accepted by MNRAS
arxiv created 2007/04/25 · openalex publication_date 2007/06/16 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We study the propagation of the ionizing radiation emitted by the secondary star in η Carinae. We find that a large fraction of this radiation is absorbed by the primary stellar wind, mainly after it encounters the secondary wind and passes through a shock wave. The amount of absorption depends on the compression factor of the primary wind in the shock wave. We build a model where the compression factor is limited by the magnetic pressure in the primary wind. We find that the variation of the absorption by the post-shock primary wind with orbital phase changes the ionization structure of the circumbinary gas and can account for the radio light curve of η Car. Fast variations near periastron passage are attributed to the onset of the accretion phase.