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Issue A&A
Volume 414, Number 3, February II 2004
Page(s) L45 - L48
Section Letters
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20031762



A&A 414, L45-L48 (2004)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20031762

Letter

On the Wolf-Rayet counterpart to IC 10 X-1

J. S. Clark1 and P. A. Crowther1, 2

1  Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
2  Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK

(Received 9 September 2003 / Accepted 19 December 2003 )

Abstract
Recent CHANDRA observations of the starburst galaxy IC 10 have resulted in an improved position for the bright ( >10 38 erg s -1) X-ray source IC 10 X-1 . We discuss arguments in favour of the Wolf-Rayet star #17-A from Massey et al. and Crowther et al. being the optical counterpart; alternative possibilities are also considered. We discuss the properties of Massey et al. 17-A, finding it to be amongst the most luminous - and hence massive - WNE stars known and make comparisons with Cyg X-3. Finally we examine evolutionary constraints relating to the nature of the compact companion, finding that a putative neutron star companion would place stringent constraints on the minimum progenitor mass required to form a black hole in close binaries.


Key words: galaxies: individual: IC 10 -- stars: Wolf Rayet -- X-rays: binaries

Offprint request: J. S. Clark, jsc@star.ucl.ac.uk

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© ESO 2004


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