Twenty Years of Timing SS 433

2001/07/17 by S. S. Eikenberry, P. B. Cameron, B. W. Fierce +5 · 9 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/323380

21 pages, including 9 figures. To appear in the Astrophysical Journal

arxiv created 2001/07/17 · openalex publication_date 2001/11/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

We present observations of the optical "moving lines" in spectra of the Galactic relativistic jet source SS 433 spread over a 20 year baseline from 1979 to 1999. The redshift/blueshift of the lines reveal the apparent precession of the jet axis in SS 433, and we present a new determination of the precession parameters based on these data. We investigate the amplitude and nature of time- and phase-dependent deviations from the kinematic model for the jet precession, including an upper limit on any precessional period derivative of < 5 × 10 -5 . We also discuss the implications of these results for the origins of the relativistic jets in SS 433.

Cited by

• Symmetry in the Changing Jets of SS 433 and Its True Distance from Us
• Jet Velocity in SS 433: Its Anticorrelation with Precession-Cone Angle and Dependence on Orbital Phase
• Possible Photometric Evidence of Ejection of Bullet-like Features in the Relativistic Jet Source SS 433
• Warping of Accretion Disks with Magnetically Driven Outflows: A Possible Origin for Jet Precession
• MULTIWAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF THE SS 433 JETS
• DETECTION OF PERSISTENT GAMMA-RAY EMISSION TOWARD SS433/W50
• STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC FIELDS IN THE PRECESSING JET SYSTEM SS 433. III. EVOLUTION OF THE INTRINSIC BRIGHTNESS OF THE JETS FROM A DEEP MULTI-EPOCH VERY LARGE ARRAY CAMPAIGN
• LOFAR 150-MHz observations of SS 433 and W 50
• A THEORY OF PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION FROM RELATIVISTIC OUTFLOWS