Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The M Supergiant High-Mass X-Ray Binary 4u 1954+31, Kenneth H. Hinkle, Thomas Lebzelter, Francis C. Fekel, Oscar Straniero, Richard Joyce, Lisa Prato, Nicole Karnath, Nolan Habel

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

The X-ray binary 4U 1954+31 has been classified as a low-mass X-ray binary containing an M giant and a neutron star (NS). It has also been included in the rare class of X-ray symbiotic binaries. The Gaia parallax, infrared colors, spectral type, abundances, and orbital properties of the M star demonstrate that the cool star in this system is not a low-mass giant but a high-mass M supergiant. Thus, 4U 1954+31 is a high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) containing a late-type supergiant. It is the only known binary system of this type. The mass of the M I is ${9}_{-2}^{+6}$ M⊙ …