Bibcode
DOI
Gies, D. R.; Bolton, C. T.; Blake, R. M.; Caballero-Nieves, S. M.; Crenshaw, D. M.; Hadrava, P.; Herrero, A.; Hillwig, T. C.; Howell, S. B.; Huang, W.; Kaper, L.; Koubský, P.; McSwain, M. V.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 678, Issue 2, pp. 1237-1247.
Advertised on:
5
2008
Journal
Citations
56
Refereed citations
49
Description
We present results from Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectroscopy
of the massive X-ray and black hole binary system, HD 226868 = Cyg X-1.
The spectra were obtained at both orbital conjunction phases in 2002 and
2003, when the system was in the X-ray high/soft state. The UV stellar
wind lines suffer large reductions in absorption strength when the black
hole is in the foreground due to the X-ray ionization of the wind ions.
We constructed model UV wind line profiles assuming that X-ray
ionization occurs everywhere in the wind except the zone where the
supergiant blocks the X-ray flux. The good match between the observed
and model profiles indicates that the wind ionization extends to near
the hemisphere of the supergiant facing the X-ray source. We also
present contemporaneous spectroscopy of the Hα emission that forms
in the high-density gas at the base of the supergiant's wind and the He
II λ4686 emission that originates in the dense, focused wind gas
between the stars. The Hα emission strength is generally lower in
the high/soft state than in the low/hard state, but the He II
λ4686 emission is relatively constant between X-ray states. The
results suggest that mass transfer in Cyg X-1 is dominated by the
focused wind flow that peaks along the axis joining the stars, and that
the stellar wind contribution from the remainder of the hemisphere
facing the X-ray source is shut down by X-ray photoionization effects
(in both X-ray states).
Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained
at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Incorporated,
under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations are associated with
programs GO-9646 and GO-9840.
Based on data obtained at the David Dunlap Observatory, University of
Toronto.
Related projects
Physical properties and evolution of Massive Stars
This project aims at the searching, observation and analysis of massive stars in nearby galaxies to provide a solid empirical ground to understand their physical properties as a function of those key parameters that gobern their evolution (i.e. mass, spin, metallicity, mass loss, and binary interaction). Massive stars are central objects to
Sergio
Simón Díaz