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Published May 1, 1995 | Submitted + Published
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A luminous companion to SGR 1806-20

van Kerkwijk, M. H.
Kulkarni, S. R. ORCID icon
Matthews, K.
Neugebauer, G.
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Abstract

We have obtained infrared spectra of the star suggested to be the counterpart of the soft gamma-ray repeater (SGR) 1806-20. We found strong emission lines similar to those seen in the spectra of the rare luminous blue variables and B(e) stars. A He I absorption line is also seen, from which we infer a spectral type O9-B2. This classification, in combination with the minimum distance of greater than or approximately = 6 kpc inferred from its extinction, makes the star one of the most luminous in the Galaxy. We infer that it is a companion to SGR 1806-20 and suggest that the presence of a companion is somehow related to the SGR phenomenon.

Additional Information

© 1995 American Astronomical Society • Provided by the NASA Astrophysics Data System. Received 1995 January 17; accepted 1995 February 9. We thank L. J. Smith and P.A. Crowther for obtaining the UKIRT spectrum for us, T. R. Geballe for useful discussions about the line identifications, and J. F. Bell and M. A. Dopita for obtaining the CCD image of N49. UKIRT is operated by The Observatories, on behalf of the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Council. M. H. v. K. is supported by a NASA Hubble Fellowship, S. R. K. by grants from the US NSF, NASA, and the Packard Foundation, and infrared astrophysics at Caltech by a grant from the NSF.

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Published - nph-iarticle_query_1995ApJ...444L..33V_amp;data_type=PDF_HIGH_amp;whole_paper=YES_amp;type=PRINTER_amp;filetype=.pdf

Published - nph-iarticle_query_1995ApJ...444L..33V_amp=003bdata_type=003dPDF_HIGH_amp=003bwhole_paper=003dYES_amp=003btype=003dPRINTER_amp=003bfiletype=003d.pdf

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