[6.04] Orbits of Four Very Massive Binaries in the R136 Cluster

AAS 199th meeting, Washington, DC, January 2002
Session 6. Binary Stars
Display, Monday, January 7, 2002, 9:20am-6:30pm, Exhibit Hall

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[6.04] Orbits of Four Very Massive Binaries in the R136 Cluster

L. R. Penny (College of Charleston), P. Massey, J. Vukovich (Lowell Observatory)

We present radial velocity and photometry for four early-type, massive double-lined spectroscopic binaries in the R136 cluster. Three of these systems are eclipsing, allowing orbital inclinations to be determined. One of these systems, R136-38 (O3 V + O6 V), has one of the highest masses ever measured, 57 M_odot, for the primary. Comparison of our masses with those derived from standard evolutionary tracks shows excellent agreement. We also identify five other light variables in the R136 cluster worthy of follow-up study.

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