Abstract
Our long-time monitoring of the B[e] star and transient X-ray source CI Cam during quiescence following the 1998 outburst demonstrates that the complex, stratified circumstellar envelope has tended to stabilize after this structure was perturbed by the passage of a shock wave from the outburst. The star’s U BV R brightness shows slow, possibly cyclic, variations with an amplitude of about 0.2m. We determined the spectral type of the primary, B4III-V, based on the widths of the absorption wings of high-numbered Balmer lines. A Doppler shift of 460 km/s was detected for the Hell λ4686 A emission line. The shifts in this line yield an orbital period of 19.41 days, which is also manifested itself in the photometric data as a wave with a V amplitude of 0.034m. The orbit is elliptical, with an eccentricity of 0.62. It is most likely that the secondary is a white dwarf surrounded by an accretion disk. The primary’s mass exceeds 12 M ⊙ . The system may be at a late stage of its evolution, after the stage of mass exchange.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
