Bowen Fluorescence from Companion Stars in X-ray Binaries

Casares, J.; Steeghs, D.; Hynes, R. I.; Charles, P. A.; Cornelisse, R.; O'Brien, K.
Bibliographical reference

Compact Binaries in the Galaxy and Beyond, Proceedings of the conference held 17-22 November, 2003 in La Paz, Baja California Sur. Edited by G. Tovmassian and E. Sion. Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (Serie de Conferencias) Vol. 20. IAU Colloquium 194, pp. 21-22 (2004) (http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/~rmaa/)

Advertised on:
7
2004
Number of authors
6
IAC number of authors
0
Citations
6
Refereed citations
5
Description
This paper will review a new technique of detecting companion stars in LMXBs and X-ray transients in outburst using the Bowen fluorescence NIII lines at 4634-4640. These lines are very efficiently reprocessed in the atmospheres of the companion stars and, thereby, provide estimates of the K[2] velocities and mass functions. The method has been applied to Sco X-1, X1822-371 and GX339-4 which, in the latter case, provides dynamical evidence for the presence of an accreting black hole. Preliminary results from a VLT campaign on V801 Ara, V926 Sco and XTE J1814-338 are also presented.