On the influence of the companion star in Eta Carinae: 2D radiative
  transfer modeling of the ultraviolet and optical spectra
  We present 2D radiative transfer modeling of the Eta Carinae binary system
accounting for the presence of a wind-wind collision (WWC) cavity carved in the
optically-thick wind of the primary star. By comparing synthetic line profiles
with HST/STIS spectra obtained near apastron, we show that the WWC cavity has a
strong influence on multi-wavelength diagnostics. This influence is regulated
by the modification of the optical depth in the continuum and spectral lines.
We find that H-alpha, H-beta, and Fe II lines are the most affected by the WWC
cavity, since they form over a large volume of the primary wind. These spectral
lines depend on latitude and azimuth since, according to the orientation of the
cavity, different velocity regions of a spectral line are affected. For 2D
models with orientation corresponding to orbital inclination angle 110deg < i <
140deg and longitude of periastron 210deg < omega < 330deg, the blueshifted and
zero-velocity regions of the line profiles are the most affected. These orbital
orientations are required to simultaneously fit the UV and optical spectrum of
Eta Car, for a half-opening angle of the cavity in the range 50-70deg. We find
that the excess P-Cygni absorption seen in H-alpha, H-beta and optical Fe II
lines in spherical models becomes much weaker or absent in the 2D models, in
agreement with the observations. The observed UV spectrum of Eta Car, dominated
by Fe II absorption lines, is superbly reproduced by our 2D cavity models.
Small discrepancies still remain, as H-gamma and H-delta absorptions are
overestimated by our models. We suggest that photoionization of the wind of the
primary by the hot companion star is responsible for the weak absorption seen
in these lines. Our CMFGEN models indicate that the primary star has a
mass-loss rate of 8.5x10e-4 Msun/yr and wind terminal velocity of 420 km/s
around the 2000 apastron.
