Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Detection of an X-ray-ionized nebula around the black hole candidate binary LMC X-l

Nature volume 322, pages 511–517 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

Optical spectra of the black hole candidate X-ray binary LMC X-l reveal that the system is surrounded by an extended, highly ionized He III region, N159F, which appears to be the long-sought-for example of an X-ray-photoionized nebula. The spatially resolved temperature and ionization structure allows us to measure the previously unobservable extreme ultraviolet (EUV) luminosity of an accreting compact object.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cowley, A. P. et al. Astrophys. J. 286, 196–208 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jones, C. G., Chetin, T. & Liller, W. Astrophys. J. 190, L1–L3 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Rapley, C. G. & Tuohy, I. R. Astrophys. J. 191, L113–L116 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pakull, M. W. IAU Circ. No. 3472 (1978).

  5. Pakull, M. W. Proc. IAU Symp. 108, 317 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hutchings, J. B., Crampton, C. & Cowley, A. P. Astrophys. J. 275, L43–L47 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dickel, H. R. Astrophys. J. 141, 1306–1317 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bianchi, L. & Pakull, M. W. Astr. Astrophys. 146, 242–248 (1985).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. White, N. E. & Marshall, F. E. Astrophys. J. 281, 354–359 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Stone, R. P. S. & Baldwin, J. A. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 204, 347–353 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Aller, L. N. Physics of Thermal Gaseous Nebulae (Astrophysics and Space Science Library, Vol. 11) (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Stasinska, G. Astr. Astrophys. 84, 320–328 (1980).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Evans, I. N. & Dopita, M. A. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 58, 125–142 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jacoby, G. H. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 42, 1–18 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mauche, C. W. & Gorenstein, P. Astrophys. J. 302, 371–383 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dopita, M. A., Binette, L., D'Odorico, S. & Benvenuti, P. Astrophys. J. 276, 653–666 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Danziger, I. J. Proc. IAU Symp. 101, 193–203 (1983).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Tarter, C. B., Tucker, W. H. & Salpeter, E. E. Astrophys. J. 156, 943–951 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Tarter, C. B. & Salpeter, E. E. Astrophys. J. 156, 943–951 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Halpern, J. P. & Grindlay, J. E. Astrophys. J. 242, 1041–1055 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kallman, T. R. & McCray, R. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 50, 263–317 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kallman, T. R. Astrophys. J. 280, 269–281 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Dufour, R. J. Proc. IAU Symp. 108, 353–360 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Koorneef, J. Astr. Astrophys. 107, 247–251 (1982).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Mathewson, D. S. & Ford, V. L. Proc. IAU Symp. 108, 125–136 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Karzas, W. & Latter, R. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 6, 167–212 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Shakura, N. I. & Sunyaev, R. A. Astr. Astrophys. 24, 337–355 (1973).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Osterbrock, D. E. Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebula (Freeman, San Francisco, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  29. McCray, R., Wright, C. & Hatchett, S. Astrophys. J. 211, L29–L33 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Dupree, A. K. et al. Nature 275, 400–403 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. Dupree, A. K. et al. Astrophys. J. 238, 969–981 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hatchett, S. & McCray, R. Astrophys. J. 211, 552–561 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. White, N. E. in Interacting Binaries (eds Eggleton, P. P. & Pringle, J. E.) 249–287 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1985).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  34. Marshall, F. E., White, N. E. & Becker, R. M. Astrophys. J. 266, 814–822 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. Garmany, C. D. & Conti, P. S. Astrophys. J. 293, 407–413 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. van den Heuvel, E. P. J. in Accretion driven X-ray sources (eds Lewin, W. H. G. & van den Heuvel, E. P. J.) 303–341 (Cambridge University Press, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  37. van den Heuvel, E. P. J. & Habets, G. M. H. J. Nature 309, 598–600 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Tuohy, I. R. & Dopita, M. A. Astrophys. J. 268, L11–L15 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Pakull, M. W., Ilovaisky, S. A. & Chevalier, C. Space Sci. Rev. 40, 229–232 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Hutchings, J. B. Proc. IAU Symp. 108, 305–312 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Osterbrock, D. E. Physica Scripta 17, 285–292 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Collin-Souffrin, S. Physica Scripta 17, 293–300 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, TU Berlin, Sekr, PN 8-1, Hardenbergstrasse 36, D-1000, Berlin, 12, West Germany

    M. W. Pakull

  2. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-8046, Garching, West Germany

    L. P. Angebault

Authors
  1. M. W. Pakull
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. P. Angebault
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pakull, M., Angebault, L. Detection of an X-ray-ionized nebula around the black hole candidate binary LMC X-l. Nature 322, 511–517 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322511a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/322511a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing