The high energy X-ray tail of Eta Car revealed by BeppoSAX

We report on the June 2000 long (100 ks) BeppoSAX exposure that has unveiled above 10 keV a new very high energy component of the X-ray spectrum of Eta Car extending to at least 50 keV. We find that the 2-150 keV spectrum is best reproduced by a thermal + non-thermal model. The thermal component dominates the 2-10 keV spectral range with kT_h=5.5 +/- 0.3 keV and log NH_h=22.68 +/- 0.01. The spectrum displays a prominent iron emission line centred at 6.70 keV. Its equivalent width of 0.94 keV, if produced by the thermal source, gives a slightly sub-solar iron abundance ([Fe/H]=-0.15 +/- 0.02). The high energy tail above 10 keV is best fitted by a power law with a photon index of 2.42 +/- 0.04. The integrated 13-150 keV luminosity of ~12 L-sun is comparable to that of the 2-10 keV thermal component. The present result can be explained, in the Eta Car binary star scenario, by Comptonisation of low frequency radiation by high energy electrons, probably generated in the colliding wind shock front, or in instabilities in the wind of the S Dor primary star. It is possible that the high energy tail had largely weakened near the minimum of the 5.53 yr cycle. With respect to the thermal component, it probably has a longer recovering time like that of the highest excitation optical emission lines. Both features can be associated with the large absorption measured by BeppoSAX at phase 0.05.