Spatial Resolution of the R Aquarii Binary System

摘要

We report continuum VLA observations at 7 mm that have resolved the stellar components in the R Aqr binary system. R Aqr was simultaneously probed in both a 50 MHz bandpass containing lineless continuum emission associated with the hot companion/accretion disk and a 3.125 MHz bandpass containing the spectral line v = 1, J = 10, SiO maser emission associated with the long-periodvariable (LPV) envelope. The offset between the two stars is 55 + - 2 mas with a position angle of ～18 deg + - 2 deg relative to the LPV, providing the first data point for a subsequent monitoring program to determine precisely the binary orbit that is suspected to be highly elliptical and have a period of ～44 yr.