Chandra Observations of Associates of $η$ Car: II. Spectra

Nancy Remage Evans, Eric M. Schlegel, Wayne L. Waldron, Frederick D. Seward, Miriam I. Krauss, Joy Nichols, Scott J. Wolk

Published 2004-05-28Version 1

The low resolution X-ray spectra around $\eta$ Car covering Tr 16 and part of Tr 14 have been extracted from a Chandra CCD ACIS image. Various analysis techniques have been applied to the spectra based on their count rates. The spectra with the greatest number of counts (HD 93162 = WR 25, HD 93129AB, and HD 93250) have been fit with a wind model, which uses several components with different temperatures and depths in the wind. Weaker spectra have been fit with Raymond-Smith models. The weakest spectra are simply inter-compared with strong spectra. In general, fits produce reasonable parameters based on knowledge of the extinction from optical studies and on the range of temperatures for high and low mass stars. Direct comparisons of spectra confirm the consistency of the fitting results and also hardness ratios for cases of unusually large extinction in the clusters. The spectra of the low mass stars are harder than the more massive stars. Stars in the sequence evolving from the main sequence (HD 93250) through the system containing the O supergiant (HD 93129AB) and then through the Wolf-Rayet stage (HD93162), presumably ending in the extreme example of $\eta$ Car, share the property of being unusually luminous and hard in X-rays. For these X-ray luminous stars, their high mass and evolutionary status (from the very last stages of the main sequence and beyond) is the common feature. Their binary status is mixed, and magnetic status is still uncertain.