H. McAlister

Fundamental Properties of Stars Using Asteroseismology from Kepler and CoRoT and Interferometry from the CHARA Array

We present results of a long-baseline interferometry campaign using the PAVO beam combiner at the CHARA Array to measure the angular sizes of five main-sequence stars, one subgiant and four red giant stars for which solar-like oscillations have been detected by either Kepler or CoRoT. By combining interferometric angular diameters, Hipparcos parallaxes, asteroseismic densities, bolometric fluxes, and high-resolution spectroscopy, we derive a full set of near-model-independent fundamental properties for the sample. We first use these properties to test asteroseismic scaling relations for the frequency of maximum power (?max) and the large frequency separation (??). We find excellent agreement within the observational uncertainties, and empirically show that simple estimates of asteroseismic radii for main-sequence stars are accurate to 4%. We furthermore find good agreement of our measured effective temperatures with spectroscopic and photometric estimates with mean deviations for stars between T eff = 4600-6200 K of ?22 ? 32 K (with a scatter of 97?K) and ?58 ? 31 K (with a scatter of 93?K), respectively. Finally, we present a first comparison with evolutionary models, and find differences between observed and theoretical properties for the metal-rich main-sequence star HD?173701. We conclude that the constraints presented in this study will have strong potential for testing stellar model physics, in particular when combined with detailed modeling of individual oscillation frequencies.

FIRST RESULTS FROM THE CHARA ARRAY VII: LONG-BASELINE INTERFEROMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF VEGA CONSISTENT WITH A POLE-ON, RAPIDLY ROTATING STAR

We have obtained high-precision interferometric measurements of Vega with the CHARA Array and FLUOR beam combiner in the K’ band at projected baselines between 103m and 273m. The measured visibility amplitudes beyond the first lobe are significantly weaker than expected for a slowly rotating star characterized by a single effective temperature and surface gravity. Our measurements, when compared to synthetic visibilities and synthetic spectrophotometry from a Roche-von Zeipel gravitydarkened model atmosphere, provide strong evidence for the model of Vega as a rapidly rotating star viewed very nearly pole-on. Our model of Vega’s projected surface consists of two-dimensional intensity maps constructed from a library of model atmospheres which follow pole-to-equator gradients of effective temperature and surface gravity over the rotationally distorted stellar surface. Our best fitting model, in good agreement with both our interferometric data and archival spectrophotometric data, indicates that Vega is rotating at ∼91% of its angular break-up rate with an equatorial velocity of 275 km s −1 . Together with the measured v sin i, this velocity yields an inclination for the rotation axis of 5 ◦ . For this model the pole-to-equator effective temperature difference is 2250 K, a value much larger than previously derived from spectral line analyses. A polar effective temperature of 10150 K is derived from a fit to ultraviolet and optical spectrophotometry. The synthetic and observed spectral energy distributions are in reasonable agreement longward of 140 nm where they agree to 5% or better. Shortward of 140 nm, the model is up to 10 times brighter than observed. The far-UV flux discrepancy suggests a breakdown of von Zeipel’s Teff ∝ g 1/4 relation. The derived equatorial Teff of 7900 K indicates Vega’s equatorial atmosphere may be convective and provides a possible explanation for the discrepancy. The model has a luminosity of ∼37 L⊙, a value 35% lower than Vega’s apparent luminosity based on its bolometric flux and parallax, assuming a slowly rotating star. The model luminosity is consistent with the mean absolute magnitude of A0V stars from the W(H) − MV calibration. Our model predicts the spectral energy distribution of Vega as viewed from its equatorial plane; a model which may be employed in radiative models for the surrounding debris disk. Subject headings: methods: numerical — stars: atmospheres — stars: fundamental parameters (radii, temperature) — stars: rotation — stars:individual (Vega) — techniques: interferometric

Circumstellar material in the Vega inner system revealed by CHARA/FLUOR

Context. Only a handful of debris disks have been imaged up to now. Due to the need for high dynamic range and high angular resolution, very little is known about the inner planetary region, where small amounts of warm dust are expected to be found. Aims. We investigate the close neighbourhood of Vega with the help of infrared stellar interferometry and estimate the integrated K-band flux originating from the central 8 AU of the debris disk. Methods. We performed precise visibility measurements at both short (∼30 m) and long (∼150 m) baselines with the FLUOR beamcombiner installed at the CHARA Array (Mt Wilson, California) in order to separately resolve the emissions from the extended debris disk (short baselines) and from the stellar photosphere (long baselines). Results. After revising Vega’s K-band angular diameter (θUD = 3.202 ± 0.005 mas), we show that a significant deficit in squared visibility (∆V 2 = 1.88 ± 0.34%) is detected at short baselines with respect to the best-fit uniform disk stellar model. This deficit can be either attributed to the presence of a low-mass stellar companion around Vega, or as the signature of the thermal and scattered emissions from the debris disk. We show that the presence of a close companion is highly unlikely, as well as other possible perturbations (stellar morphology, calibration), and deduce that we have most probably detected the presence of dust in the close neighbourhood of Vega. The resulting flux ratio between the stellar photosphere and the debris disk amounts to 1.29 ± 0.19% within the FLUOR field-of-view (∼7.8 AU). Finally, we complement our K-band study with archival photometric and interferometric data in order to evaluate the main physical properties of the inner dust disk. The inferred properties suggest that the Vega system could be currently undergoing major dynamical perturbations.

A near-infrared interferometric survey of debris disk stars. I. Probing the hot dust content around eps Eridani and tau Ceti with CHARA/FLUOR

Context. The quest for hot dust in the central region of debris disks re quires high resolution and high dynamic range imaging. Nearinfrared interferometry is a powerful means to directly det ect faint emission from hot grains. Aims. We probed the first 3 AU aroundτ Ceti andǫ Eridani with the CHARA array (Mt Wilson, USA) in order to gauge the 2� m excess flux emanating from possible hot dust grains in the debris dis ks and to also resolve the stellar photospheres. Methods. High precision visibility amplitude measurements were performed with the FLUOR single mode fiber instrument and telescope pairs on baselines ranging from 22 to 241 m of projected length. The short baseline observations allow us to disentangle the contribution of an extended structure from the photospheric emission, while the long baselines constrain the stellar d iameter. Results. We have detected a resolved emission aroundτ Cet, corresponding to a spatially integrated, fractional e xcess flux of 0.98± 0.21× 10 −2 with respect to the photospheric flux in the K ′ ‐band. Aroundǫ Eri, our measurements can exclude a fractional excess of greater than 0.6× 10 −2 (3σ). We interpret the photometric excess aroundτ Cet as a possible signature of hot grains in the inner debris disk and demonstrate that a faint, physical or background, companion can be safely excluded. In addition, we measured both stellar

A near-infrared interferometric survey of debris disc stars : III. First statistics based on 42 stars observed with CHARA/FLUOR

Context. Dust is expected to be ubiquitous in extrasolar planetary systems owing to the dynamical activity of minor bodies. Inner dust populations are, however, still poorly known because of the high contrast and small angular separation with respect to their host star, and yet, a proper characterisation of exozodiacal dust is mandatory for the design of future Earth-like planet imaging missions. Aims. We aim to determine the level of near-infrared exozodiacal dust emission around a sample of 42 nearby main sequence stars with spectral types ranging from A to K and to investigate its correlation with various stellar parameters and with the presence of cold dust belts. Methods. We use high-precision K-band visibilities obtained with the FLUOR interferometer on the shortest baseline of the CHARA array. The calibrated visibilities are compared with the expected visibility of the stellar photosphere to assess whether there is an additional, fully resolved circumstellar emission source. Results. Near-infrared circumstellar emission amounting to about 1% of the stellar flux is detected around 13 of our 42 target stars. Follow-up observations showed that one of them (eps Cep) is associated with a stellar companion, while another one was detected around what turned out to be a giant star (kap CrB). The remaining 11 excesses found around single main sequence stars are most probably associated with hot circumstellar dust, yielding an overall occurrence rate of 28 +8 % for our (biased) sample. We show that the occurrence rate of bright exozodiacal discs correlates with spectral type, K-band excesses being more frequent around A-type stars. It also correlates with the presence of detectable far-infrared excess emission in the case of solar-type stars. Conclusions. This study provides new insight into the phenomenon of bright exozodiacal discs, showing that hot dust populations are probably linked to outer dust reservoirs in the case of solar-type stars. For A-type stars, no clear conclusion can be made regarding the origin of the detected near-infrared excesses.

FIRST RESOLVED IMAGES OF THE ECLIPSING AND INTERACTING BINARY β LYRAE

We present the first resolved images of the eclipsing binary β Lyrae, obtained with the CHARA Array interferometer and the MIRC combiner in the H band. The images clearly show the mass donor and the thick disk surrounding the mass gainer at all six epochs of observation. The donor is brighter and generally appears elongated in the images, the first direct detection of photospheric tidal distortion due to Roche lobe filling. We also confirm expectations that the disk component is more elongated than the donor and is relatively fainter at this wavelength. Image analysis and model fitting for each epoch were used for calculating the first astrometric orbital solution for β Lyrae, yielding precise values for the orbital inclination and position angle. The derived semimajor axis also allows us to estimate the distance of β Lyrae; however, systematic differences between the models and the images limit the accuracy of our distance estimate to about 15%. To address these issues, we will need a more physical, self-consistent model to account for all epochs as well as the multiwavelength information from the eclipsing light curves.

The projection factor of δ Cephei A calibration of the Baade-Wesselink method using the CHARA Array

Cepheids play a key role in astronomy as standard candles for measuring intergalactic distances. Their distance is usually inferred from the period-luminosity relationship, calibrated using the semi-empirical Baade-Wesselink method. Using this method, the distance is known to a multiplicative factor, called the projection factor. Presently, this factor is computed using numerical models - it has hitherto never been measured directly. Based on our new interferometric measurements obtained with the CHARA Array and the already published parallax, we present a geometrical measurement of the projection factor of a Cepheid, δ Cep. The value we determined, p = 1.27 ± 0.06, confirms the generally adopted value of p = 1.36 within 1.5 sigmas. Our value is in line with recent theoretical predictions of Nardetto et al. (2004, A&A, 428, 131).

In the Shadow of the Transiting Disk: Imaging epsilon Aurigae in Eclipse

Epsilon Aurigae (ε Aur) is a visually bright, eclipsing binary star system with a period of 27.1 years. The cause of each 18-month-long eclipse has been a subject of controversy for nearly 190 years because the companion has hitherto been undetectable. The orbital elements imply that the opaque object has roughly the same mass as the visible component, which for much of the last century was thought to be an F-type supergiant star with a mass of ∼15M⊙ (M⊙, mass of the Sun). The high mass-to-luminosity ratio of the hidden object was originally explained by supposing it to be a hyperextended infrared star or, later, a black hole with an accretion disk, although the preferred interpretation was as a disk of opaque material at a temperature of ∼500 K, tilted to the line of sight and with a central opening. Recent work implies that the system consists of a low-mass (2.2M⊙–3.3M⊙) visible F-type star, with a disk at 550 K that enshrouds a single B5V-type star. Here we report interferometric images that show the eclipsing body moving in front of the F star. The body is an opaque disk and appears tilted as predicted. Adopting a mass of 5.9M⊙ for the B star, we derive a mass of ∼(3.6 ± 0.7)M⊙ for the F star. The disk mass is dynamically negligible; we estimate it to contain ∼0.07M⊕ (M⊕, mass of the Earth) if it consists purely of dust.directly detected the eclipsing body, allowing us to measure theproperties of the companion. We used the MIRC four-telescopebeam combiner at the CHARA Array to obtain images of epsilonAurigae during ingress into eclipse during autumn 2009. Theseimages show the intrusion of a dark, elongated structure that re-sembles the large disk as rst discussed by Ludendor

Strong near-infrared emission interior to the dust sublimation radius of young stellar objects MWC 275 and AB Aurigae

Using the longest optical-interferometeric baselines currently available, we have detected strong near-infrared (NIR) emission from inside the dust destruction radius of Herbig Ae stars MWC 275 and AB Aur. Our submilliarcsecond resolution observations unambiguously place the emission between the dust destruction radius and the magnetospheric corotation radius. We argue that this new component corresponds to hot gas inside the dust sublimation radius, confirming recent claims based on spectrally resolved interferometry and dust evaporation front modeling.

A near-infrared interferometric survey of debris disc stars. II. CHARA/FLUOR observations of six early-type dwarfs

A displacement measuring device, comprising a pattern projecting unit, a pattern image pickup unit capable of relatively displacing with respect to the pattern projecting unit and a control unit, wherein the pattern projecting unit projects a displacement detecting pattern to the pattern image pickup unit, the pattern image pickup unit picks up the displacement detecting pattern as projected, the control unit circulates image of the displacement detecting pattern picked up by the pattern image pickup unit to the pattern projecting unit, updates the displacement detecting pattern projected by the pattern projecting unit to the displacement detecting pattern as circulated, and projects the displacement detecting pattern as updated to the pattern image pickup unit, wherein relative displacement between the pattern projecting unit and the pattern image pickup unit is obtained by dividing a displacement amount of the displacement detecting pattern in the image acquired by circulation by the number of circulations.