Issue |
A&A
Volume 388, Number 1, June II 2002
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 335 - 345 | |
Section | The Sun | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20020465 | |
Published online | 28 May 2002 |
High-resolution X-ray imaging of the colliding wind shock in WR 147
1
Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
2
Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
3
Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
4
Computer & Scientific Co. Ltd., 230 Graham Rd., Sheffield, S10 3GS, UK
5
CASA, UCB 389, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
6
Universities Space Research Association, 7501 Forbes Blvd, Ste 206, Seabrook, MD 20706, USA
7
Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
8
Départment de physique, Université de Montréal, C P 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
9
Observatoire du mont Mégantic
Corresponding author: J. M. Pittard, jmp@ast.leeds.ac.uk
Received:
17
September
2001
Accepted:
26
March
2002
We analyze new high-resolution Chandra X-ray images of the
Wolf-Rayet binary system WR147. This system contains a WN8 star
with an early-type companion located to its north, and is the
only known early-type binary with a separation on the sky large enough
for the wind-wind collision between the stars to currently be resolved
at X-ray energies. The 5 ksec Chandra HRC-I image provides the
first direct evidence for spatially extended X-ray emission in an early-type
binary system. The X-ray emission peaks close to the position of the radio bow
shock and north of the WN8 star. A deeper X-ray image is
needed to accurately determine the degree of spatial extension, to
exactly align the X-ray and optical/radio frames, and to determine whether
part of the detected X-ray emission arises in the individual stellar winds.
Simulated X-ray images of the wind-wind collision have a FWHM consistent
with the data, and maximum likelihood fits suggest that a deeper
observation may also constrain the inclination and wind momentum ratio of
this system. However, as the WR wind dominates the colliding wind X-ray
emission it appears unlikely that
and
can be separately determined from X-ray observations. We also note an
inconsistency between numerical
and analytical estimates of the X-ray luminosity ratio of the stronger
and weaker wind components, and conclude that the analytical results
are in error.
Key words: stars: binaries: general / stars: early-type / stars: imaging / stars: individual: WR 147 / stars: Wolf-Rayet / X-rays: stars
© ESO, 2002
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