Abstract
High Mass X-Ray Binary systems can be difficult to find in the Milky Way due to high metallicity contributing to mass loss due to stellar wind, so we turn our attention to the galaxy NGC 3109 in order to find these systems. Using archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope using the Wide Field Camera 3, we do photometry in both the F475W and F814W filters for the two fields of view that cover the galaxy. We then plot these magnitudes on a color-magnitude diagram and use isochrones of 5 and 10 million years to gather minimum mass estimates of massive stars that exceed a threshold of 15 solar masses. We present a catalog of the positions of these stars, as well as their masses, to be used in conjunction with positions of x-ray sources as part of a larger project to find High Mass X-Ray Binary systems in NGC 3109.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Caeden and Gallagher, John (Jay) III
(2025)
"Finding High Mass X-Ray Binaries in NGC 3109,"
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy: Vol. 13:
Iss.
1, Article 9.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/mjpa/vol13/iss1/9