Progress in Understanding the Nature of SS433

Abstract

SS433 is the first example of a microquasar discovered in the Galaxy. It is a natural laboratory for studies of extraordinarily interesting physical processes that are very important for the relativistic astrophysics, cosmic gas dynamics and theory of evolution of stars. The object has been studied for over 40 years in the optical, X-ray and radio bands. By now, it is generally accepted that SS433 is a massive eclipsing X-ray binary in an advanced stage of evolution in the supercritical regime of accretion on the relativistic object. Intensive spectral and photometric observations of SS433 at the Caucasian Mountain Observatory of the P. K. Sternberg Astronomical Institute of M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University made it possible to find the ellipticity of the SS433 orbit and to discover an increase in the system’s orbital period. These results shed light on a number of unresolved issues related to SS433. In particular, a refined estimate of the mass ratio MxMv>0.8 was obtained (Mx and Mv are the masses of the relativistic object and optical star). Based on these estimates, the relativistic object in the SS433 system is the black hole; its mass is >8M⊙. The ellipticity of the orbit is consistent with the “slaved” accretion disc model. The results obtained made it possible to understand why SS433 evolves as the semi-detached binary instead of the common envelope system.

Keywords

• close binaries
• black holes
• evolution of binary stars