The Masses Of The B-Stars In The High Galactic Latitude Eclipsing Binary IT Lib
Abstract
A number of blue stars which appear to be similar to Population I B-stars in the star forming regions of the galactic disk are found more than 1 kpc from the galactic plane. Uncertainties about the true distances and masses of these high latitude B-stars has fueled a debate as to their origin and evolutionary status. The eclipsing binary IT Lib is composed of two B-stars, is approximately one kiloparsec above the galactic plane, and is moving back toward the plane. Observations of the light and velocity curves presented here lead to the conclusion that the B-stars in this system are massive young main-sequence stars. While there are several possible explanations, it appears most plausible that the IT Lib system formed in the disk about 30 million years ago and was ejected on a trajectory taking it to its present position.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0210607,
title = {The Masses Of The B-Stars In The High Galactic Latitude Eclipsing Binary IT Lib},
author = {John C. Martin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0210607},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
26 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in the PASP (January 2003)