Bibcode
Tango, W. J.; Davis, J.; Ireland, M. J.; Aerts, C.; Uytterhoeven, K.; Jacob, A. P.; Mendez, A.; North, J. R.; Seneta, E. B.; Tuthill, P. G.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 370, Issue 2, pp. 884-890.
Advertised on:
8
2006
Citations
26
Refereed citations
18
Description
The triple system HD158926 (λSco) has been observed
interferometrically with the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer,
and the elements of the wide orbit have been determined. These are
significantly more accurate than the previous elements found
spectroscopically. The inclination of the wide orbit is consistent with
the inclination previously found for the orbit of the close companion.
The wide orbit also has low eccentricity, suggesting that the three
stars were formed at the same time.
The brightness ratio between the two B stars was also measured at
λ = 442 and 700nm. The brightness ratio and colour index are
consistent with the previous classification of λ Sco A as B1.5
and λ Sco B as B2. Evolutionary models show that the two stars
lie on the main sequence. Since they have the same age and luminosity
class (IV), the mass-luminosity relation can be used to determine the
mass ratio of the two stars: MB/MA = 0.76 +/-
0.04.
The spectroscopic data have been reanalyzed using the interferometric
values for P, T, e and ω, leading to revised values for
a1 sin i and the mass function. The individual masses can be
found from the mass ratio, the mass function, spectrum synthesis and the
requirement that the age of both components must be the same:
MA = 10.4 +/- 1.3 and MB = 8.1 +/- 1.0
Msolar.
The masses, angular semimajor axis and the period of the system can be
used to determine the dynamical parallax. We find the distance to
λSco to be 112 +/- 5pc, which is approximately a factor of 2
closer than the Hipparcos value of 216 +/- 42pc.