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A lower limit for the mass of the compact object in SS433—a black hole?

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Abstract

The SS433 system ejects two relativistic jets with a velocity of 0.26c. The two jets are in oppsite directions, precessing with a period of 160 days1. The system is assumed to include a compact object which rotates around a normal star with a period of 13 days2,3. There are strong indications for the presence of an accretion disk around the compact object4. Based on study of a photometric light curve obtained during 3 years of observations5, we suggest here that the compact object might be a black hole.

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Leibowitz, E., Mazeh, T. & Mendelson, H. A lower limit for the mass of the compact object in SS433—a black hole?. Nature 307, 341–342 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/307341a0

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