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NASA NTRS1983

The X-ray emission of the old Nova V603 Aquilae (1918)

X-ray observations of the old Nova V603 Aql have been obtained with the IPC and MPC instruments aboard the Einstein Observatory during 1.7 consecutive orbital cycles. Periodic orbital phase-dependent flux variations are detected with large-amplitude flickering superimposed on the sinusoidal X-ray light curve. The spectrum is hard, characterized by a temperature of 20-30 keV, and the maximum X-ray luminosity observed was about 3 x 10 to the 33rd erg/s. The X-ray measurements are compared with recent optical photometric observations, and origin of the periodic modulation of the optical and X-ray flux is discussed.

Drechsel, H.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Line-profile and continuum variations of the contact binary SV Centauri

A total of five high and ten low dispersion UV spectra of the interacting contact binary SV Centauri obtained between 1979 and 1982 are analyzed. The low resolution observations cover the whole phase range, while a few selected phases were observed in high dispersion. The UV data were complemented with optical photometric and spectroscopic observations, in order to determine the tructure and absolute dimensions of the system. The profiles of prominent UV resonance and metastable lines undergo drastic changes with phase angle and time. Their overall appearance indicates relatively strong mass loss from the system, exhibiting pronounced variations of the stellar wind. The far UV continuum distribution suggests the presence of a luminous hot radiation source with maximum emission in the soft X-ray range, which is most apparently seen during the first quadrature phase, while it is weakest close to primary minimum. The case exchange and mass loss process as well as the evolutionary stage of SV Centauri are discussed.

Rahe, J.↗