Explaining the transient fast blue absorption lines in the massive binary system η Carinae

2010/04/30 by Amit Kashi, Noam Soker, Muhammad Akashi
Physics and Astronomy · #Absorption (acoustics) #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Binary number #Collision #Geometry #Line (geometry) #Mechanics #Optics #Physics #Primary (astronomy) #Shock (circulatory) #Shock front #Shock wave #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Transient (computer programming) #astro-ph.SR

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18340.x

8 pages, 5 figures, accepted by MNRAS, includes astro-ph only appendices

arxiv created 2011/01/29 · openalex publication_date 2011/03/08 · arxiv updated 2015/05/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We use recent observations of the He i λ10 830 Å absorption line and 3D hydrodynamical numerical simulations of the winds collision to strengthen the case for an orientation of the semimajor axis of the massive binary system η Carinae where the secondary star is toward us at periastron passage. These observations show that the fast blue absorption component exists for only several weeks prior to the periastron passage. We show that the transient nature of the fast blue absorption component supports a geometry where the fast secondary wind, both pre- and post-shock material, passes in front of the primary star near periastron passage.

Citations

• Near-infrared interferometry of η Carinae with spectral resolutions of 1 500 and 12 000 using AMBER/VLTI
• X‐Ray Spectral Variation of η Carinae through the 2003 X‐Ray Minimum
• The orientation of the η Carinae binary system
• Departure from Axisymmetry in Planetary Nebulae
• A multispectral view of the periodic events in η Carinae