SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL 62013
NASA-GSFC/USRA
CODE 660.2
GREENBELT
MD USA 20771
Tel: 301-286-5576 Fax: 301-286-1629
Medium: CD ROM
Subject: STARS
X-RAY EMISSION FROM $\ETA$ CAR:A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION?
ABSTRACT
The extremely luminous, extremely massive star $\eta$ Car is perhaps the Galaxy's most enigmatic object. Periodic emission line equivalent width variations and changes in Pa-$\gamma$ radial velocity variations by Damineli and collaborators provide the strongest evidence to date that the star is a binary. If true this revises the fundamental understanding of the evolution of the system, the connection of $\eta$ Car to the Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), and the nature of its atmospheric instabilities and the ``Great Eruption'' of the last century. {\it ASCA} can make perhaps the most conclusive test of this model by determining the level of variation in the hard X-ray spectrum as a result of colliding-winds during the next predicted periastron passage, expected to occur on Jan 1, 1998
CO-INVESTIGATORS
| CO-I NAME | INSTITUTE | COUNTRY |
|---|
| JEAN SWANK | GSFC | USA |
| ROB PETRE | GSFC | USA |
| STEVE DRAKE | USRA | USA |
| AUGUSTO DAMINELI | JILA | USA |
| KAZUNORI ISHIBASHI | UMINN | USA |
| KRIS DAVIDSON | UMINN | USA |
| ROBERTA HUMPHREYS | UMINN | USA |
| KATSUJI KOYAMA | KYOTO | JAPAN |
| YOHKO TSUBOI | KYOTO | JAPAN |
| ROBERTOWHITE VIOTTI | IAS | ITALY |
TARGETS
| TARGET NAME | PRI | RA | DEC | TIME | TC | OFF | GIS | SIS CNT | OBS |
|---|
| 1)ETA CAR/PERIASTRON? | 1 | 161.2604 | -59.6803 | 50 ks | N | N | P | 0.40000 | 1 |
| 2)ETA CAR/POST-PERIAS. | 1 | 161.2604 | -59.6803 | 20 ks | N | N | P | 0.60000 | 1 |
TARGET 1
WE WANT THIS OBSERVATION DURING THE DEC-FEB WINDOW; THE EXACT START TIME IS NOT IMPORTANT.
TARGET 2
WE WANT THIS OBSERVATION DURING THE JUN-AUG WINDOW; THE EXACT START TIME IS NOT IMPORTANT.