Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3388: SS 433; 1979c
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Read IAUC 3389
Circular No. 3388
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-864-5758
SS 433
D. Crampton, A. P. Cowley and J. B. Hutchings, Dominion Astrophysical
Observatory, telex: "Measurements of 48 spectra of SS 433
taken with our 180-cm telescope from April to July show that the
strongest components of the 'stationary' H-beta and H-alpha emission lines
vary in radial velocity, with K = 76 +/- 7 km/s and P = 13d.0 +/- 0d.1.
Maximum positive velocity occurred at July 4.0 +/- 0d.2 UT. Assuming
binary orbital motion, F(M) = 0.6, and for the inclination suggested
by Abell and Margon (i = 78o), this is consistent with
masses < 2 Ms. The spectrum shows other changes which occur on the
same time scale; we cannot rule out the other periods near 1d.
Spectroscopic observations from other longitudes and a search for
this period in other types of observational data are desirable."
J. McGraw, S. Starrfield and R. Angel, University of Arizona;
and N. Carleton, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, report:
"High-speed photometric observations of SS 433 have been made using
the Multiple-Mirror Telescope on Mt. Hopkins and the University of
Arizona 230-cm telescope; these observations were made in unfiltered
light, as before (cf. IAUC 3363), using an EMI 6256 photomultiplier.
Data obtained on April 29 UT (integration time 0.002 s)
show no periodic signal with amplitude > 0.0075 magnitude in the
period range 0.004 to > 2.7 s. A further limit of 0.004 magnitude
in the period range 2 to 100 s is determined from data obtained on
June 24 using integration time 1 s. Observations made June 25 using
an optical filter of 150-A FWHM centered on H-beta put an upper limit
of 0.01 magnitude on periodic signals in the range 20 to ~ 1000 s.
These analyses, and those mentioned on IAUC 3363, indicate that
SS 433 exhibits no continuously-present periodic signal in the optical
continuum or H lines. Comparison of the power spectra of the
light curves of SS 433 with those obtained from nearby constant
stars of similar magnitude indicates a noise level consistent with
photon counting and scintillation noise; there is no component to
the noise which might indicate the presence of an accretion disk.
These observations must be taken into account in any model involving
processes which are periodic in the range 0.002 to 1000 s."
COMET BRADFIELD (1979c)
Total visual magnitude and coma diameter estimates by D.
Machholz, Los Gatos, CA (25-cm reflector): Aug. 3.48 UT, 8.8, 1'.5.
1979 August 6 (3388) Daniel W. E. Green
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