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We report on Swift X-ray Telescope observations of Eta Carinae (η Car), an extremely massive, long-period, highly eccentric binary obtained during the 2014.6 X-ray minimum/periastron passage. These observations show that η Car may have been particularly bright in X-rays going into the X-ray minimum state, while the duration of the 2014 X-ray minimum was intermediate between the extended minima seen in 1998.0 and 2003.5 by Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), and the shorter minimum in 2009.0. The hardness ratios derived from the Swift observations showed a relatively smooth increase to a peak value occurring 40.5 days after the start of the X-ray minimum, though these observations cannot reliably measure the X-ray hardness during the deepest part of the X-ray minimum when contamination by the “central constant emission” component is significant. By comparing the timings of the RXTE and Swift observations near the X-ray minima, we derive an updated X-ray period of PX = 2023.7 ± 0.7 days, in good agreement with periods derived from observations at other wavelengths, and we compare the X-ray changes with variations in the He ii 4686 emission. The middle of the “Deep Minimum” interval, as defined by the Swift column density variations, is in good agreement with the time of periastron passage derived from the He ii λ4686 line variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an overview of four deep phase-constrained Chandra HETGS X-ray observations of δ Ori A. Delta Ori A is actually a triple system that includes the nearest massive eclipsing spectroscopic binary, δ Ori Aa, the only such object that can be observed with little phase-smearing with the Chandra gratings. Since the fainter star, δ Ori Aa2, has a much lower X-ray luminosity than the brighter primary (δ Ori Aa1), δ Ori Aa provides a unique system with which to test the spatial distribution of the X-ray emitting gas around δ Ori Aa1 via occultation by the photosphere of, and wind cavity around, the X-ray dark secondary. Here we discuss the X-ray spectrum and X-ray line profiles for the combined observation, having an exposure time of nearly 500 ks and covering nearly the entire binary orbit. The companion papers discuss the X-ray variability seen in the Chandra spectra, present new space-based photometry and ground-based radial velocities obtained simultaneously with the X-ray data to better constrain the system parameters, and model the effects of X-rays on the optical and UV spectra. We find that the X-ray emission is dominated by embedded wind shock emission from star Aa1, with little contribution from the tertiary star Ab or the shocked gas produced by the collision of the wind of Aa1 against the surface of Aa2. We find a similar temperature distribution to previous X-ray spectrum analyses. We also show that the line half-widths are about 0.3−0.5 times the terminal velocity of the wind of star Aa1. We find a strong anti-correlation between line widths and the line excitation energy, which suggests that longer-wavelength, lower-temperature lines form farther out in the wind. Our analysis also indicates that the ratio of the intensities of the strong and weak lines of Fe xvii and Ne x are inconsistent with model predictions, which may be an effect of resonance scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eclipsing systems of massive stars allow one to explore the properties of their components in great detail. We perform a multi-wavelength, non-LTE analysis of the three components of the massive multiple system δ Ori A, focusing on the fundamental stellar properties, stellar winds, and X-ray characteristics of the system. The primary’s distance-independent parameters turn out to be characteristic for its spectral type (O9.5 II), but usage of the Hipparcos parallax yields surprisingly low values for the mass, radius, and luminosity. Consistent values follow only if δ Ori lies at about twice the Hipparcos distance, in the vicinity of the σ-Orionis cluster. The primary and tertiary dominate the spectrum and leave the secondary only marginally detectable. We estimate the V-band magnitude difference between primary and secondary to be . The inferred parameters suggest that the secondary is an early B-type dwarf (≈B1 V), while the tertiary is an early B-type subgiant (≈B0 IV). We find evidence for rapid turbulent velocities (∼200 km s−1) and wind inhomogeneities, partially optically thick, in the primary’s wind. The bulk of the X-ray emission likely emerges from the primary’s stellar wind (), initiating close to the stellar surface at . Accounting for clumping, the mass-loss rate of the primary is found to be , which agrees with hydrodynamic predictions, and provides a consistent picture along the X-ray, UV, optical, and radio spectral domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present time-resolved and phase-resolved variability studies of an extensive X-ray high-resolution spectral data set of the δ Ori Aa binary system. The four observations, obtained with Chandra ACIS HETGS, have a total exposure time of ks and provide nearly complete binary phase coverage. Variability of the total X-ray flux in the range of 5–25 Å is confirmed, with a maximum amplitude of about ±15% within a single ks observation. Periods of 4.76 and 2.04 days are found in the total X-ray flux, as well as an apparent overall increase in the flux level throughout the nine-day observational campaign. Using 40 ks contiguous spectra derived from the original observations, we investigate the variability of emission line parameters and ratios. Several emission lines are shown to be variable, including S xv, Si xiii, and Ne ix. For the first time, variations of the X-ray emission line widths as a function of the binary phase are found in a binary system, with the smallest widths at ϕ = 0.0 when the secondary δ Ori Aa2 is at the inferior conjunction. Using 3D hydrodynamic modeling of the interacting winds, we relate the emission line width variability to the presence of a wind cavity created by a wind–wind collision, which is effectively void of embedded wind shocks and is carved out of the X-ray-producing primary wind, thus producing phase-locked X-ray variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]