Xi2 Centauri

For other star systems with this Bayer designation, see Xi Centauri.

ξ^2 Centauri

Location of ξ^2 Centauri (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation	Centaurus
Right ascension	13^h 06^m 54.63940^s[1]
Declination	−49° 54′ 22.4823″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	4.30[2] + 9.38[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type	B1.5 V[4] or B2 IV[5] + F7 V[3]
U−B color index	−0.810[2]
B−V color index	−0.197[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+14.3±4.1[6] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: −26.15[1] mas/yr Dec.: −12.03[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	6.98 ± 0.24 mas[1]
Distance	470 ± 20 ly (143 ± 5 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−1.51[7]
Orbit[8]
Period (P)	7.6497 d
Eccentricity (e)	0.35
Periastron epoch (T)	2418077.493 JD
Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary)	308.6°
Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary)	38.8 km/s
Details
ξ^2 Cen A
Mass	8.1±0.1[4] M☉
Luminosity (bolometric)	1,702[9] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	4.11±0.03[9] cgs
Temperature	20,790±335[9] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	25[10] km/s
Age	11.5±3.7[4] Myr
ξ^2 Cen B
Mass	1.25[9] M☉
Luminosity	2.4[9] L☉
Temperature	6,194[9] K
Other designations
ξ^2 Cen, CD−49° 7644, FK5 489, HD 113791, HIP 64004, HR 4942, SAO 223909.[11]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Xi^2 Centauri, Latinized from ξ^2 Centauri, is a triple star[12] system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.30,[2] and forms a wide optical double with the slightly dimmer ξ^1 Centauri.[13] Based upon an annual parallax shift of 6.98 mas, Xi^2 Centauri lies roughly 470 light years from the Sun. At that distance, the visual magnitude is diminished by an interstellar extinction factor of 0.32 due to intervening dust.[14]

This system was discovered to be a single-lined spectroscopic binary in 1910 by American astronomer Joseph Haines Moore.[15][16] The pair, component A, orbit each other with a period of 7.6497 days and an eccentricity of 0.35.[8] The primary is a B-type star with a stellar classification of B1.5 V[4] or B2 IV,[5] depending on the source. This indicates it may be a main sequence star or a more evolved subgiant star. It has about 8.1[4] times the mass of the Sun and radiates 1,702 times the solar luminosity from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 20,790 K.[9] It is a hybrid pulsator and shows spacings in both g and p modes.[17]

A third star, component B, is a magnitude 9.38 F-type main sequence star with a classification of F7 V. It has 1.25[9] times the mass of the Sun and radiates 2.4[9] times the solar luminosity at an effective temperature of 6,194[9] K. It lies at an angular separation of 25.1 arc seconds from the inner pair.[3] They share a common proper motion, indicating they may be gravitationally bound with an orbital period of around 41,000 years.[18]

The system has a peculiar velocity of 16.2±4.2 km/s.[6] It belongs to the Scorpius–Centaurus association and appears to be a member of the Gould's Belt.[19]

References

1. van Leeuwen, F. (2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600.
2. Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; Moreno, Hugo (June 1968), "A photometric investigation of the Scorpio-Centaurus association", Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 15: 459, Bibcode:1968ApJS...15..459G, doi:10.1086/190168.
3. Gahm, G. F.; et al. (January 1983), "A study of visual double stars with early type primaries. I - Spectroscopic results", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 51: 143–159, Bibcode:1983A&AS...51..143G.
4. Tetzlaff, N.; et al. (January 2011), "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 410 (1): 190–200, arXiv:1007.4883, Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410..190T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x, S2CID 118629873.
5. Hohle, M. M.; et al. (April 2010), "Masses and luminosities of O- and B-type stars and red supergiants", Astronomische Nachrichten, 331 (4): 349, arXiv:1003.2335, Bibcode:2010AN....331..349H, doi:10.1002/asna.200911355, S2CID 111387483.
6. Bobylev, V. V.; Bajkova, A. T. (August 2013), "Galactic kinematics from a sample of young massive stars", Astronomy Letters, 39 (8): 532–549, arXiv:1307.1677, Bibcode:2013AstL...39..532B, doi:10.1134/S106377371308001X, S2CID 118568203.
7. Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
8. Pourbaix, D.; et al. (2004), "S_B^9: The ninth catalogue of spectroscopic binary orbits", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 424 (2): 727–732, arXiv:astro-ph/0406573, Bibcode:2004A&A...424..727P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041213, S2CID 119387088.
9. Gerbaldi, M.; et al. (November 2001), "Binary systems with post-T Tauri secondaries", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 379: 162–184, Bibcode:2001A&A...379..162G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20011298.
10. Wolff, S. C.; et al. (2007), "Rotational Velocities for B0-B3 Stars in Seven Young Clusters: Further Study of the Relationship between Rotation Speed and Density in Star-Forming Regions", The Astronomical Journal, 133 (3): 1092–1103, arXiv:astro-ph/0702133, Bibcode:2007AJ....133.1092W, doi:10.1086/511002, S2CID 119074863.
11. "ksi02 Cen -- Spectroscopic binary", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2017-01-09.
12. Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869–879, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.
13. Backyard Astronomy, The Guides, Fog City Press, 2003, p. 248, ISBN 1877019321.
14. Gontcharov, G. A. (November 2012), "Spatial distribution and kinematics of OB stars", Astronomy Letters, 38 (11): 694–706, arXiv:1606.09028, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..694G, doi:10.1134/S1063773712110035, S2CID 119108982.
15. Moore, Joseph Haines (1910), "Ten stars having variable radial velocities", Lick Observatory Bulletin, 6 (182): 55–59, Bibcode:1910LicOB...6...55M, doi:10.5479/ADS/bib/1910LicOB.6.55M.
16. Neubauer, F. J. (1931), "The orbit of the spectroscopic binary ξ^2 Centauri", Lick Observatory Bulletin, 15: 107–108, Bibcode:1931LicOB..15..107N, doi:10.5479/ADS/bib/1931LicOB.15.107N.
17. Sharma, Awshesh N.; Bedding, Timothy R.; Saio, Hideyuki; White, Timothy R. (2022). "Pulsating B stars in the Scorpius–Centaurus Association with TESS". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 515 (1): 828–840. arXiv:2203.02582. Bibcode:2022MNRAS.515..828S. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1816.
18. Tokovinin, A. (September 2008), "Comparative statistics and origin of triple and quadruple stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 925–938, arXiv:0806.3263, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..925T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13613.x, S2CID 16452670.
19. Bobylev, V. V.; Bajkova, A. T. (September 2007), "Kinematics of the Scorpius–Centaurus OB association", Astronomy Letters, 33 (9): 571–583, arXiv:0708.0943, Bibcode:2007AstL...33..571B, doi:10.1134/S1063773707090010, S2CID 15785349.

External links

• http://server3.wikisky.org/starview?object_type=1&object_id=884