Chandra Observations of WR147 Reveal a Double X-ray Source

TL;DR

This study presents deep Chandra X-ray observations of WR147, revealing for the first time a double X-ray source in a Wolf-Rayet binary, with one component associated with colliding winds and the other with the WN star.

Contribution

It provides the first direct X-ray detection of a Wolf-Rayet star in a binary system and distinguishes two separate X-ray sources within WR147.

Findings

WR147 is a double X-ray source.

The northern source is linked to colliding winds.

The southern source is associated with the WN star.

Abstract

We report the first results from deep X-ray observations of the Wolf-Rayet binary system WR147 with the Chandra HETG. Analysis of the zeroth order data reveals that WR147 is a double X-ray source. The northern counterpart is likely associated with the colliding wind region, while the southern component is certainly identified with the WN star in this massive binary. The latter is the source of high energy X-rays (including the Fe K_alpha complex at 6.67 keV) whose production mechanism is yet unclear. For the first time, X-rays are observed directly from a WR star in a binary system.