| The double-lined spectrum of LBV 1806-20 (2004) | |||||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||||
| Also archived in: arXiv:astro-ph/0406316 v1 14 Jun 2004. Despite much theoretical and observational progress, there is no known firm upper limit to the masses of stars. Our understanding of the interplay between the immense radiation pressure produced by massive stars in formation and the opacity of infalling material is subject to theoretical uncertainties, and many observational claims of “the most massive star” have failed the singularity test. LBV 1806−20 is a particularly luminous object, L 106 L⊙, for which some have claimed very high mass estimates (Minitial>200 M⊙), based, in part, on its similarity to the Pistol Star. We present high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of LBV 1806−20, showing that it is possibly a binary system with components separated in velocity by 70 kms−1. If correct, then this system is not the most massive star known, yet it is a massive binary system. We argue that a binary, or merged, system is more consistent with the ages of nearby stars in the LBV 1806−20 cluster. In addition, we find that the velocity of VLSR=36 kms−1 is consistent with a distance of 11.8 kpc, a luminosity of 106.3 L⊙, and a system mass of 130 M⊙. (Refer to PDF file for exact formulas).. F. N. acknowledges grants AYA2003-02785-E and ESP2002-01627. | |||||||||||||||
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