A Colliding Wind Model for the X-ray Emission from Eta Carina

Session 34 - New Results on the Nature of Eta Carinae.
Oral session, Wednesday, January 07
Lincoln,

[34.05] A Colliding Wind Model for the X-ray Emission from Eta Carina

I. R. Stevens, J. M. Pittard (Univ. Birmingham, Uk), M. F. Corcoran (NASA/GSFC)

We will present hydrodynamic simulations of the Luminous Blue Variable Eta Carina. We assume that Eta Carina is an eccentric binary and that the X-ray emission is generated by colliding winds. We calculate the expected X-ray lightcurves and spectral variability through the orbit, using two different sets of orbital parameters (those derived by Daminelli et al and by Davidson).

We will discuss the successes and failings of such a colliding wind model and the constraints that the X-ray emission can provide for Eta Carina, both in terms of the orbital variability and in the spectral properties.

Program listing for Wednesday