Possible spurious eccentricity and distorted X-ray velocity curve in 3U 0900-40.
Abstract
The X-rays reflected from the surface of the primary in 3U 0900-40 and other slow X-ray pulsars can shift the pulse arrival times significantly. This may lead to systematic errors in the derived orbital parameters and generate a large fraction of the observed eccentricity. Observational tests for this hypothesis are suggested. The eccentricity of 3U 0900-40 may be almost all spurious, in which case all X-ray binary orbits may be essentially circular.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- October 1976
- Bibcode:
- 1976A&A....52..157M
- Keywords:
-
- Binary Stars;
- Eccentric Orbits;
- Pulsars;
- X Ray Sources;
- Doppler Effect;
- Error Analysis;
- Orbit Calculation;
- Stellar Motions;
- Velocity Distribution;
- Astrophysics