Chinese Journal of Nature ›› 2021, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (3): 209-216.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2021.03.006

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Interpret the latest parameter measurement results of Cygnus X-1

ZHAO Xueshan①②, FENG Ye①②, GOU Lijun①②   

  1. ①National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), Beijing 100012, China; ②School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2021-05-10 Online:2021-06-25 Published:2021-06-13

Abstract: Cygnus X-1 discovered in 1964 was the first stellar mass black hole that has ever been observed, which continues to fascinate astronomers. Accurate measurements of the systematical parameters will help astronomers better understand its physical properties and put better limits on the evolution of stars. In 2011, the mass, distance, spin and other parameters of this system were comprehensive measured for the first time. In 2021, an international team including researchers from NAOC again made precise measurements and updated all the systematical parameters of Cygnus X-1. In this paper, we introduce the methods for measuring the mass, distance and spin of Cygnus X-1, present results of two previous precise measurements made in 2011 and 2021, respectively, and discuss the implications of the latest measurements on the stellar and binary evolution.