Discovery of eclipsing nature of LMC X-4
Abstract
THE Sandaleak-Philip optical candidate for LMC X-4 (ref. 1) has been reported by Chevalier and Ilovaisky2 to be part of a 1.4-d binary system. Six days of data taken from an extended Ariel V observation of the LMC are shown in Fig. 1 and X-ray eclipses 5 h long can be clearly discerned every 1.4 d. The predicted optical phase zero times are, within the uncertainties, in good agreement with the observed mid-eclipse times, thus confirming the identification and making this the first X-ray eclipsing binary system to be found in the LMC.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- January 1978
- DOI:
- 10.1038/271038a0
- Bibcode:
- 1978Natur.271...38W
- Keywords:
-
- Eclipsing Binary Stars;
- Magellanic Clouds;
- Radiant Flux Density;
- Stellar Radiation;
- X Ray Stars;
- Ariel 5 Satellite;
- Bursts;
- Periodic Variations;
- Proportional Counters;
- Satellite Observation;
- Spectrometers;
- Astronomy