The Superluminal Source GRS 1915+105: A High Mass X-ray Binary?

Mirabel, I. F.; Bandyopadhyay, P. A.; Charles, P. A.; Shahbaz, T.; Rodriguez, L. F.
Bibliographical reference

Technical Report, Oxford Univ. Oxford, United Kingdom Dept. of Physics

Advertised on:
1
1996
Number of authors
5
IAC number of authors
0
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We obtained K-band (2.0-2.5 micron) infrared spectra of the visually obscured superluminal source GRS 1915+105 on three different epochs of the year 1995, at times when it was detected as a hard X-ray source. The three spectra exhibit HI Br(gamma) (2.167 micron) and HeI (2.058 micron) emission lines. The spectral morphology, absolute magnitude, and time-variability of the infrared counterpart are consistent with the class of high mass X-ray binaries that contain late Oe and early Be as mass donor stars. In GRS 1915+105 we have not detected Doppler-shifted emission lines, as observed in the classic stellar source of relativistic jets SS 433. We discuss why in GRS 1915+105 it may be more difficult than in SS 433 to detect emission lines from the jets.