Research Note

Apsidal advance in SS 433?

University of Oxford, Department of Physics, Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK e-mail: m.bowler1@physics.ox.ac.uk

Received: 14 October 2009
Accepted: 15 November 2009

Abstract

Context. The Galactic microquasar SS 433 launches oppositely-directed jets at speeds approximately a quarter of the speed of light. Both the speed and direction of the jets exhibit small fluctuations. A component of the speed variation has 13 day periodicity and the orbital phase at which its maximum speed occurs has advanced approximately 90 in 25 years.

Aims. To examine the possibility that these variations are associated with a mildly eccentric orbit and conditions necessary to achieve this apsidal advance.

Methods. The advance of the orbital phase for maximum speed is taken to be advance of the apses of the putative elliptical orbit. It is compared with calculations of the effects of tides induced in the companion and also with gravitational perturbations from the circumbinary disc. These calculations are made in the light of recent results on the SS 433 system.

Results. The 13-day periodicity in the speed of the jets of SS 433 might be attributed to a mildly elliptical orbit, through periodic approaches of the donor and the compact object. Advance of the apses of such an elliptical orbit due to tidal effects induced in a normal companion looks to be too small; if caused by the circumbinary disc the mass of the inner regions of that disc is  .