Bibcode
DOI
Shahbaz, T.; Casares, J.; Watson, C. A.; Charles, P. A.; Hynes, R. I.; Shih, S. C.; Steeghs, D.
Referencia bibliográfica
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 616, Issue 2, pp. L123-L126.
Fecha de publicación:
12
2004
Revista
Número de citas
30
Número de citas referidas
25
Descripción
We report on the optical spectroscopy of the eclipsing halo low-mass
X-ray binary 2S 0921-630, which reveals the absorption-line radial
velocity curve of the K0 III secondary star with a semiamplitude
K2=92.89+/-3.84 km s-1, a systemic velocity
γ=34.9+/-3.3 km s-1, and an orbital period
Porb of 9.0035+/-0.0029 days (1 σ). Given the quality
of the data, we find no evidence for the effects of X-ray irradiation.
Using the previously determined rotational broadening of the mass donor
and applying conservative limits on the orbital inclination, we
constrain the compact object mass to be 2.0-4.3 Msolar (1
σ), ruling out a canonical neutron star at the 99% level. Since
the nature of the compact object is unclear, this mass range implies
that the compact object is either a low-mass black hole with a mass
slightly higher than the maximum possible neutron star mass (2.9
Msolar) or a massive neutron star. If the compact object is a
black hole, it confirms the prediction of the existence of low-mass
black holes, while if the object is a massive neutron star, its high
mass severely constrains the equation of state of nuclear matter.