Optical interferometric observations of Theta 1 Orionis C from NPOI and implications for the system orbit

TL;DR

This study used optical interferometry to observe Theta 1 Orionis C over 14 months, revealing orbital motion and challenging previous eccentric orbit predictions, highlighting the need for further data to refine the system's orbital parameters.

Contribution

The paper provides new interferometric measurements of Theta 1 Orionis C, offering insights into its orbit and challenging previous models of its eccentricity.

Findings

Orbital motion observed over 14 months.

Contradicts previous predictions of a close periastron passage.

Highlights need for more data to determine a definitive orbit.

Abstract

With the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI), the binary system Theta 1 Orionis C, the most massive member of the Trapezium, was spatially resolved over a time period extending from February 2006 to March 2007. The data show significant orbital motion over the 14 months, and, after combining the NPOI data with previous measurements of the system from the literature, the observations span 10 years of the orbit. Our results indicate that the secondary did not experience an unusually close periastron passage this year, in contradiction to the prediction of a recently published, highly eccentric ~11 year orbit. Future observations of this source will be required to improve the orbital solution. Possible implications of the results in terms of system distance are discussed, although a main conclusion of this work is that a definitive orbit solution will require more time to obtain sufficient phase coverage, and that the interaction effects expected at periastron did not occur in 2007.