The Colliding Wind Binary Eta Carinae
Abstract
We present a binary model to explain the 5.52 year cycles in eta Carinae (Damineli 1996). The binary system is the most massive known (Damineli, Conti and Lopes 1997) and fits well several kinds of observations of the star and its ejected nebula, the Homunculus. The prediction and recovery of a periastron passage in January 1998 led to the collection of a huge amount of data. We review the observations through all the eletromagnectic spectrum, regarding this event, confirming that eta Carinae is a colliding wind binary. The implications of binarity and LBV eruptions to the mass ejection in this system is analysed.
- Publication:
-
IX Latin American Regional IAU Meeting, "Focal Points in Latin American Astronomy"
- Pub Date:
- November 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998larm.confE..22D