The X-ray emission of massive WR + OB binaries is thought to originate mainly ina colliding wind (CW) shock between the two stars. Rigorous observational testsof CW shock models have been hampered by imprecise knowledge of the binarycomponents and their winds and by the dearth of WR + OB binaries bright enoughin X-rays to acquire good spectra. An exception is the WN8 + O5-7 binary WR 147whose stellar properties are well-constrained by HST STIS spectra and radiointerferometry. We propose to obtain the first high-quality X-ray spectrum of WR147 with XMM. The EPIC spectra will remove temperature ambiguities that arepresent in faint ASCA spectra and comparisons of the data with synthetic spectrafrom numerical hydrodynamic simulations will stringently test CW models.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2004-11-04T22:53:41Z/2004-11-05T05:15:38Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr STEPHEN SKINNER, 2005, 'TESTING COLLIDING WIND SHOCK MODELS IN THE WR + O BINARY SYSTEM WR 147', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-8sjggza
