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On the mass of the compact object in the black hole binary A0620-00Multicolor orbital light curves of the black hole candidate binary A0620-00 are presented. The light curves exhibit ellipsoidal variations and a grazing eclipse of the mass donor companion star by the accretion disk. Synthetic light curves were generated using realistic mass donor star fluxes and an isothermal blackbody disk. For mass ratios of q = M sub 1/M sub 2 = 5.0, 10.6, and 15.0 systematic searches were executed in parameter space for synthetic light curves that fit the observations. For each mass ratio, acceptable fits were found only for a small range of orbital inclinations. It is argued that the mass ratio is unlikely to exceed q = 10.6, and an upper limit of 0.8 solar masses is placed on the mass of the companion star. These constraints imply 4.16 +/- 0.1 to 5.55 +/- 0.15 solar masses. The lower limit on M sub 1 is more than 4-sigma above the mass of a maximally rotating neutron star, and constitutes further strong evidence in favor of a black hole primary in this system.
Document ID
19930062242
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Haswell, Carole A.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Robinson, Edward L.
(McDonald Observatory; Texas Univ. Austin, United States)
Horne, Keith
(Space Telescope Science Inst. Baltimore, MD, United States)
Stiening, Rae F.
(Superconducting Super Collider Lab. Dallas, TX, United States)
Abbott, Timothy M. C.
(McDonald Observatory; Texas Univ. Austin, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
July 10, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal - Part 1
Volume: 411
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
93A46239
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2678
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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