The Double Infared Source Toward the Soft Gamma-Ray Repeater SGR 1900+14

Authors

F. J. Vrba, US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station
C. B. Luginbuhl, US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station
K. C. Hurley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Unviersity of California
P. Li, Space Sciences Laboratory, Unviersity of California
S. R. Kulkarni, California Institute of Technology, Department of Astronomy
M. H. van Kerkwuk, California Institute of Technology, Department of Astronomy
Dieter H. Hartmann, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson UniversityFollow
L. E. Campusano, Observatorio Astronómico Cerro Calán, Departamento de Astronómia, Unversidad de Chile & Visiting Astronomer, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
M. J. Graham, Visiting Astronomer, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory & Centre for Astrophysics, Univërsity of Central Lancashire
R. G. Clowes, Visiting Astronomer, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory & Centre for Astrophysics, Univërsity of Central Lancashire

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 9-1-1996

Publication Title

The Astrophysical Journal

Publisher

The American Astronomical Society

Abstract

We report the results of an extensive set of optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of the double infrared source reported by Hartmann et al. (1995) as a potential counterpart for the Galatic soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1900 + 14. These objects are found to be variable but otherwise normal M5 supergiant stars at a distance of ~ 12-15 kpc and extinguised by Av ~ 19.2 mag, primarily by the general interstellar medium. We argue that the supergiants are likely gravitationally bround. These stars are positionally coincident with both quiescent X-ray and IRAS sources, suggestive of a yet-undetected third component to the system which may be responsible for the SGR.

Comments

Additional authors: C. Kouveliotou, R. Probst, I. Gatley, M. Merrill, R. Joyce, R. Mendez, I. Smith, and A. Schultz

Recommended Citation

Please use publisher's recommended citation.