Bibcode
Davis, J.; Mendez, A.; Seneta, E. B.; Tango, W. J.; Booth, A. J.; O'Byrne, J. W.; Thorvaldson, E. D.; Ausseloos, M.; Aerts, C.; Uytterhoeven, K.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 356, Issue 4, pp. 1362-1370.
Advertised on:
2
2005
Citations
30
Refereed citations
19
Description
The bright southern binary star β Centauri (HR5267) has been
observed with the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI) and
spectroscopically with the European Southern Observatory Coude Auxiliary
Telescope and Swiss Euler telescope at La Silla. The interferometric
observations have confirmed the binary nature of the primary component
and have enabled the determination of the orbital parameters of the
system. At the observing wavelength of 442nm the two components of the
primary system have a magnitude difference of 0.15 +/- 0.02. The
combination of interferometric and spectroscopic data gives the
following results: orbital period 357.00 +/- 0.07d, semimajor axis 25.30
+/- 0.19mas, inclination 67.4 +/-0.3, eccentricity 0.821 +/- 0.003,
distance 102.3 +/- 1.7pc, primary and secondary masses
M1=M2= 9.1 +/- 0.3 Msolar and absolute
visual magnitudes of the primary and secondary M1V=-3.85 +/-
0.05 and M2V=-3.70 +/- 0.05, respectively. The high degree of
accuracy of the results offers a fruitful starting point for future
asteroseismic modelling of the pulsating binary components.