[Previous] | [Session 8] | [Next]
D.M. Gelino (CASS/UCSD)
Soft X-ray Transients are binary systems that are believed to consist of a black hole or neutron star, and a late type dwarf star which fills its Roche Lobe. As the distorted companion orbits the compact object, the observed flux rises and falls in a predictable manner, giving rise to ``ellipsoidal variations.'' We observe these systems in the near infrared since the secondary star dominates the systemic luminosity and the contamination from the accretion disk is minimized. Observations in the near infrared are therefore better suited for detecting true ellipsoidal variations. By modeling these variations, we can determine the orbital inclination of the system. The inclination can be combined with the observed mass function to determine the mass, and therefore the nature, of the primary object. Here, we present results on the black hole candidate system, GRS 1009-45 (N Vel 93). We have obtained data on this system with the Victor M. Blanco 4 meter telescope at Cerro Tololo and have modeled the data with the WD98 light curve modeling program. This projet is supported by a Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS) Postdoctoral Fellowship.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: dgelino@ucsd.edu
[Previous] | [Session 8] | [Next]
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.