| Neutron Stars in
Binary Systems |
Eclipsing Binary Light Curves
Here are part of the X-ray data
from observations of HT Cas. Although a
lot noisier than the sample binary data, you can
still see the
general shape of the curve and how the X-ray intensity drops as the
X-ray
emitting star is eclipsed by the central star. It might be
easier to
print out this page and measure from the printed version, rather than
from the screen.
The orbital velocity of the secondary star in the
HT Cas system is 28500 km/min. For this problem, the change in time (Δt) will not be a whole number, e.g., '3.2' but not '3'. Using this information and the ASCA light curve
above, calculate the size of the central star.
HINT: 
Warning: Do not type a comma in your answer!
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