Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The IR energy distribution of SS433

Nature volume 282, pages 810–811 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

SS433 is an extraordinary emission-line object showing periodically varying velocities of up to 50,000 km s−1 (refs 1,2). It is also a variable radio source3,4 and an X-ray source5. Infrared observations of SS433 in the 1–4 μm range have been reported elsewhere6–10. The data that we present here include observations at 1–10 μm and indicate first that there are substantial infrared colour variations from night to night and second that there is a sharp long-wavelength cutoff in the IR energy distribution, which was not seen in the earlier, more limited data. The discovery of this cutoff allows the diameter and electron density of the emitting region to be estimated.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Margon, B. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 230, L41 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Margon, B. IAU Circ. No. 3345 (1979).

  3. Ryle, M., Caswell, J. L., Hine, G. & Shakeshaft, J. R. Nature 276, 571 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Seaquist, E. R., Gregory, P. C. & Crane, P. C. IAU Circ. No. 3256, (1978).

  5. Marshall, F. E., Mushotzky, R. F., Bolt, E. A., Holt, S. S. & Serlemitsos, P. J. IAU Circ. No. 3314 (1978).

  6. Milone, E. F. IAU Circ. No. 3354 (1979).

  7. Glass, I. S. IAU Circ. No. 3363 (1979).

  8. Impey, C. D. IAU Circ. No. 3379 (1979).

  9. Giles, A. B., King, A. R., McHardy, I. M. & Lawrence, A. Nature 281, 282 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Allen, D. A. Nature 281, 284 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Osterbrock, D. E. Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae (Freeman, San Francisco, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822

    C. G. Wynn-Williams & E. E. Becklin

Authors
  1. C. G. Wynn-Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. E. Becklin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wynn-Williams, C., Becklin, E. The IR energy distribution of SS433. Nature 282, 810–811 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282810a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/282810a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing