Centaurus X-3

Centaurus X-3 (abbreviated Cen X-3) is a compact, pulsating X-ray source in the constellation Centaurus. There is a massive X-ray binary star and a Röntgenpulsar with a period of 4.84 seconds. He was the first Röntgenpulsar, which was discovered. Centaurus X-3 is a pulsar orbiting Krzemińskis star, a giant star with a mass of 20.5 solar masses. The neutron star, thereby draining his companion matter, which forms an accretion disk from which extends the X-rays. Due to the accretion of matter and the associated transfer of angular momentum, the rotation speed of the pulsar increased constantly. The orbital period of the pulsar to Krzemińskis star is 2.09 days. While about a quarter of the orbital period is covered by her companion, the X-ray source.

History

The X-ray source was discovered on 18 May in 1967 an experiment in which a missile was launched with a proportional counter. The third X-ray source discovered in the constellation of Centaurus (Latin Centaurus ) they received the designation Centaurus X - third In 1971, further observations with the Uhuru satellite have been made. It was discovered that Cen X 3 pulses with a period of 4.84 seconds. It was later discovered yet that it also still a sinusoidal superposition of 2.09 days there, which suggested a binary star system. 1973 was able to identify the recently discovered variable V779 Centauri as a visual component of the binary system, the Polish astronomer Wojciech Krzeminski; V779 Cen is therefore now known as ' Krzemińskis star'.