Eta Carina Spectrum
A deep (100 ksec) exposure of Eta Car was obtained with the ASCA SIS and GIS instruments on Jul 29 1996. This is the best X-ray spectrum yet obtained for Eta Car. Above is the "unfolded" SIS Eta Car spectrum which shows a highly absorbed, very high-temperature thermal component (at energies above 2 keV). The high temperature emission originates very close to the star itself, and is variable. It is probably produced by a shock as the wind from Eta Car collides with the wind or surface of an unseen companion. Eta Car also has considerable emission at energies below 1 keV, but this mainly originates in the extended emission surrounding the "homunculus", the nebula ejected from Eta Car in the 1840's. A larger GIF version of this is available.
IMAGES |
By Mission |
Stars |
HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public Last modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2003 13:48:45 EDT HEASARC Staff Scientist Position - Applications are now being accepted for a Staff Scientist with significant experience and interest in the technical aspects of astrophysics research, to work in the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD. Refer to the AAS Job register for full details. |
HEASARC Staff Scientist Position - Applications are now being accepted for a Staff Scientist with significant experience and interest in the technical aspects of astrophysics research, to work in the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD. Refer to the AAS Job register for full details.
Image Credit: Mike Corcoran, NASA/GSFC
