J. A. Benson

Vega is a Rapidly Rotating Star

Vega, the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere, serves as a primary spectral type standard. Although its spectrum is dominated by broad hydrogen lines, the narrower lines of the heavy elements suggested slow to moderate rotation, giving confidence that the ground-based calibration of its visible spectrum could be safely extrapolated into the ultraviolet and near-infrared (through atmosphere models), where it also serves as the primary photometric calibrator. But there have been problems: the star is too bright compared to its peers and it has unusually shaped absorption line profiles, leading some to suggest that it is a distorted, rapidly rotating star seen pole-on. Here we report optical interferometric observations that show that Vega has the asymmetric brightness distribution of the bright, slightly offset polar axis of a star rotating at 93 per cent of its breakup speed. In addition to explaining the unusual brightness and line shape peculiarities, this result leads to the prediction of an excess of near-infrared emission compared to the visible, in agreement with observations. The large temperature differences predicted across its surface call into question composition determinations, adding uncertainty to Vegas age and opening the possibility that its debris disk could be substantially older than previously thought.

Stellar Angular Diameters of Late-Type Giants and Supergiants Measured with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

We have measured the angular diameters of 50 F, G, K, and M giant and supergiant stars using the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer at wavelengths between 649 and 850 nm and using three baselines with lengths up to 37.5 m. Uniform-disk diameters, obtained from fits to the visibility amplitude, were transformed to limb-darkened diameters through the use of limb-darkening coefficients for plane-parallel stellar atmosphere models. These limb-darkened diameters are compared with those measured with the Mark III optical interferometer and with those computed by the infrared flux method. Sources of random and systematic error in the observations are discussed.

First Observations with a Co-phased Six-Station Optical Long-Baseline Array: Application to the Triple Star ? Virginis

We report on the first successful simultaneous combination of six independent optical telescopes in an interferometric array. This is double the number of independent telescopes, and 5 times the number of independent baselines, heretofore combined simultaneously. This was accomplished with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer at Lowell Observatory, near Flagstaff, Arizona. We describe the main technologies demonstrated, including hybrid six-way beam combination, nonredundant multiple optical path modulation for fringe separation, and the fringe detection electronics. To test the array’s suitability for high

Direct Confirmation of Stellar Limb Darkening with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

Using three elements of the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer and observing in 20 spectral channels covering 520-850 nm, we have implemented a phase bootstrapping technique in which short baselines with high visibilities are used to keep the longer baselines with low visibilities in phase. Using this method, we have been able to extend the spatial frequency coverage beyond the first zero of the stellar visibility function for two K giants α Arietis, and α Cassiopeiae. The data are inconsistent with a uniform-disk model and confirm the presence of limb-darkened radial profiles. Adopting a particular limb-darkening law enables us to determine the diameter with small formal errors (one part in 1000). In addition, we have measured closure phases for both stars. The closure phases show a jump of 180° at the first zero in the visibility amplitude, which was expected.

Resolving the effects of rotation in altair with long-baseline interferometry

We report the successful fitting of a Roche model, with a surface temperature gradient following the von Zeipel gravity darkening law, to observations of Altair made with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer. We confirm the claim by Ohishi et al. that Altair displays an asymmetric intensity distribution due to rotation, the first such detection in an isolated star. Instrumental effects due to the high visible flux of this first magnitude star appear to be the limiting factor in the accuracy of this fit, which nevertheless indicates that Altair is rotating at 0.90 ? 0.02 of its breakup (angular) velocity. Our results are consistent with the apparent oblateness found by van Belle et al. and show that the true oblateness is significantly larger owing to an inclination of the rotational axis of ~64? to the line of sight. Of particular interest, we conclude that instead of being substantially evolved as indicated by its classification, A7 IV-V, Altair is only barely off the zero-age main sequence and represents a good example of the difficulties rotation can introduce in the interpretation of this part of the HR diagram.

Properties of the Hα-emitting Circumstellar Regions of Be Stars

Long-baseline interferometric observations obtained with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer of the Hα-emitting envelopes of the Be stars η Tau and β CMi are presented. For compatibility with the previously published interferometric results in the literature of other Be stars, circularly symmetric and elliptical Gaussian models were fitted to the calibrated Hα observations. The models are adequate for characterizing the angular distribution of the Hα-emitting circumstellar material associated with these Be stars. To study the correlations between the various model parameters and the stellar properties, the model parameters for η Tau and β CMi were combined with data for other Be stars from the literature. After accounting for the different distances to the sources and stellar continuum flux levels, it was possible to study the relationship between the net Hα emission and the physical extent of the Hα-emitting circumstellar region. A clear dependence of the net Hα emission on the linear size of the emitting region is demonstrated, and these results are consistent with an optically thick line emission that is directly proportional to the effective area of the emitting disk. Within the small sample of stars considered in this analysis, no clear dependence on the spectral type or stellar rotation is found, although the results do suggest that hotter stars might have more extended Hα-emitting regions.

Constraining Disk Parameters of Be Stars using Narrowband Hα Interferometry with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

Interferometric observations of two well-known Be stars, gamma Cas and phi Per, were collected and analyzed to determine the spatial characteristics of their circumstellar regions. The observations were obtained using the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer equipped with custom-made narrowband filters. The filters isolate the H-alpha emission line from the nearby continuum radiation, which results in an increased contrast between the interferometric signature due to the H-alpha-emitting circumstellar region and the central star. Because the narrowband filters do not significantly attenuate the continuum radiation at wavelengths 50 nm or more away from the line, the interferometric signal in the H-alpha channel is calibrated with respect to the continuum channels. The observations used in this study represent the highest spatial resolution measurements of the H-alpha-emitting regions of Be stars obtained to date. These observations allow us to demonstrate for the first time that the intensity distribution in the circumstellar region of a Be star cannot be represented by uniform disk or ring-like structures, whereas a Gaussian intensity distribution appears to be fully consistent with our observations.Abstract : Interferometric observations of two well-known Be stars, gamma Cas and phi Per, were collected and analyzed to determine the spatial characteristics of their circumstellar regions. The observations were obtained using the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer equipped with custom-made narrowband filters. The filters isolate the H(alpha) emission line from the nearby continuum radiation, which results in an increased contrast between the interferometric signature due to the H(alpha)-emitting circumstellar region and the central star. Because the narrowband filters do not significantly attenuate the continuum radiation at wavelengths 50 nm or more away from the line, the interferometric signal in the H(alpha) channel is calibrated with respect to the continuum channels. The observations used in this study represent the highest spatial resolution measurements of the H -emitting regions of Be stars obtained to date. These observations allow us to demonstrate for the first time that the intensity distribution in the circumstellar region of a Be star cannot be represented by uniform disk or ringlike structures, whereas a Gaussian intensity distribution appears to be fully consistent with our observations.

Multichannel Optical Aperture Synthesis Imaging of zeta1 URSAE Majoris with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

We have used the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) to obtain the first multichannel optical aperture synthesis images of a star. We observed the spectroscopic binary ~ 1 Ursae Majoris at 6 to 10 milliarcseconds separation during seven nights, using three interferometric baselines and 19 spectral channels (A.A. 520-850 nm) of the NPOI. After editing, a typical90 sec scan yielded fringe visibilities at 50 spatial frequencies and closure phases at 15 wavelengths. Three to five scans were obtained each night. The separations and position angles are in good agreement with the visual orbit obtained with the Mark III interferometer (Hummel et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 376) but show small systematic difference that can be used to improve the orbit. The closure phase data provide a sensitive measure of the magnitude difference between the components. These results demonstrate the power of broad-band interferometric observations for fast imaging and the utility of vacuum delay lines for simultaneous observations over a wide band. These observations are the first to produce simultaneous visibilities and closure phases with a separate-aperture optical interferometer, and the second to produce closure phase images, following the results from COAST reported by Baldwin et al. (1996, A&A, 306, L13). The angular resolution here is the highest ever achieved at visual wavelengths, exceeding by an order of magnitude the best thus far achieved by any single-aperture optical telescope. We generated complex visibilities and closure phases (the data types commonly used in radio interferometry) from the optical data and used standard radio interferometry techniques to produce these images. However, the fundamental observables of optical interferometry, the squared visibility amplitude and the closure phase, require the development of new analysis techniques.

Constraining the Physical Parameters of the Circumstellar Disk of χ Ophiuchi

We present a numerical model describing a circularly symmetric gaseous disk around the Be star χ Ophiuchi. The model is constrained by long-baseline interferometric observations that are sensitive to the Hα Balmer line emission from the disk. For the first time, our interferometric observations spatially resolve the inner region of the circumstellar disk around χ Oph, and we use these results to place a constraint on the physical extent of the Hα-emitting region. We demonstrate how this in turn results in very specific constraints on the parameters that describe the variation of the gas density as a function of radial distance from the central star.

A PARAMETER STUDY OF CLASSICAL Be STAR DISK MODELS CONSTRAINED BY OPTICAL INTERFEROMETRY

We have computed theoretical models of circumstellar disks for the classical Be stars κ Dra, β Psc, and υ Cyg. Models were constructed using a non-LTE radiative transfer code developed by Sigut & Jones (2007), which incorporates a number of improvements over previous treatments of the disk thermal structure, including a realistic chemical composition. Our models are constrained by direct comparison with long-baseline optical interferometric observations of the Hα-emitting regions and by contemporaneous Hα line profiles. Detailed comparisons of our predictions with Hα interferometry and spectroscopy place very tight constraints on the density distributions for these circumstellar disks.