N. D. Richardson

STELLAR DIAMETERS AND TEMPERATURES. I. MAIN-SEQUENCE A, F, AND G STARS

We have executed a survey of nearby, main-sequence A-, F-, and G-type stars with the CHARA Array, successfully measuring the angular diameters of forty-four stars with an average precision of ~1.5%. We present new measures of the bolometric flux, which in turn leads to an empirical determination of the effective temperature for the stars observed. In addition, these CHARA-determined temperatures, radii, and luminosities are fit to Yonsei-Yale model isochrones to constrain the masses and ages of the stars. These results are compared to indirect estimates of these quantities obtained by collecting photometry of the stars and applying them to model atmospheres and evolutionary isochrones. We find that for most cases, the models overestimate the effective temperature by ~1.5%-4% when compared to our directly measured values. The overestimated temperatures and underestimated radii in these works appear to cause an additional offset in the stars surface gravity measurements, which consequently yield higher masses and younger ages, in particular for stars with masses greater than ~1.3 M_☉. Additionally, we compare our measurements to a large sample of eclipsing binary stars, and excellent agreement is seen within both data sets. Finally, we present temperature relations with respect to (B – V) and (V – K) colors as well as spectral type, showing that calibration of effective temperatures with errors ~1% is now possible from interferometric angular diameters of stars.

A Spectroscopic Orbit for Regulus

We present a radial velocity study of the rapidly rotating B star Regulus that indicates the star is a single-lined spectroscopic binary. The orbital period (40.11 days) and probable semimajor axis (0.35 AU) are large enough that the system is not interacting at present. However, the mass function suggests that the secondary has a low mass (M2 > 0.30 M☉), and we argue that the companion may be a white dwarf. Such a star would be the remnant of a former mass donor that was the source of the large spin angular momentum of Regulus itself.

The relationship between γ Cassiopeiae’s X-ray emission and its circumstellar environment

γ Cas is the prototypical classical Be star and is recently best known for its variable hard X-ray emission. To elucidate the reasons for this emission, we mounted a multiwavelength campaign in 2010 centered around four XMM-Newton observations. The observational techniques included long baseline optical interferometry (LBOI) from two instruments at CHARA, photometry carried out by an automated photometric telescope and Hα observations. Because γ Cas is also known to be in a binary, we measured radial velocities from the Hα line and redetermined its period as 203.55 ± 0.20 days and its eccentricity as near zero. The LBOI observations suggest that the star’s decretion disk was axisymmetric in 2010, has an system inclination angle near 45 ◦ , and a larger radius than previously reported. In addition, the Be star began an “outburst” at the beginning of our campaign, made visible by a brightening and reddening of the disk during our campaign and beyond. Our analyses of the new high resolution spectra disclosed many attributes also found from spectra obtained in 2001 (Chandra) and 2004 (XMM-Newton). As well as a dominant hot (≈14 keV) thermal component, the familiar attributes included: (i) a fluorescent feature of Fe K even stronger than observed at previous times; (ii) strong lines of N VII and Ne XI lines indicative of overabundances; and (iii) a subsolar Fe abundance from K-shell lines but a solar abundance from L-shell ions. We also found that two absorption columns are required to fit the continuum. While the first one maintained its historical average of 1 × 10 21 cm −2 , the second was very large and doubled to 7.4 × 10 23 cm −2 during our X-ray observations. Although we found no clear relation between this column density and orbital phase, it correlates well with the disk brightening and reddening both in the 2010 and earlier observations. Thus, the inference from this study is that much (perhaps all?) of the X-ray emission from this source originates behind matter ejected by γ Cas into our line of sight.

MULTI-EPOCH NEAR-INFRARED INTERFEROMETRY OF THE SPATIALLY RESOLVED DISK AROUND THE BE STAR ζ TAU

We present interferometric observations of the Be star ζ Tau obtained using the MIRC beam combiner at the CHARA Array. We resolved the disk during four epochs in 2007-2009. We fit the data with a geometric model to characterize the circumstellar disk as a skewed elliptical Gaussian and the central Be star as a uniform disk. The visibilities reveal a nearly edge-on disk with an FWHM major axis of ~1.8 mas in the H band. The non-zero closure phases indicate an asymmetry within the disk. Interestingly, when combining our results with previously published interferometric observations of ζ Tau, we find a correlation between the position angle of the disk and the spectroscopic V/R ratio, suggesting that the tilt of the disk is precessing. This work is part of a multi-year monitoring campaign to investigate the development and outward motion of asymmetric structures in the disks of Be stars.

The relationship between γ Cassiopeiae's X-ray emission and its circumstellar environment II. Geometry and kinematics of the disk from MIRC and VEGA instruments on the CHARA Array

Context.γ Cas is thought to be the prototype of classical Be stars and is the most studied object among this group. However, as for all Be stars, the origin and the physics of its circumstellar disk responsible for the observed near IR-excess, emission lines, and peculiar X-ray emission is still being debated. Aims: We constrain the geometry and kinematics of its circumstellar disk from the highest spatial resolution ever achieved on this star. This investigation is a part of a large multi-technique observing campaign to obtain the most complete picture of γ Cas which emphasizes the relation of the circumstellar environment to the stars X-ray flux. Methods: We present new observations in the near infrared (MIRC) and in the visible (VEGA) obtained with the CHARA interferometer. The VEGA instrument allows us to not only obtain a global disk geometry but also spectrally dispersed visibility modulus and phases within the Hα emission line, which enables us to study the kinematics within γ Cass disk. Results: We obtain a disk extension in the nearby Hα continuum of 1.72 stellar diameter and 1.86 stellar diameter in the H band at 1.65 μm assuming a Gaussian disk model but also compatible with an elliptical ring model with a minor internal diameter of 1.38 stellar diameter in H. For the first time we demonstrate that the rotation mapped by the emission in the Hα line within the disk of γ Cas and up to 10 R⋆ is Keplerian. Conclusions: These observations have pushed the size of the disk to greater proportions. γ Cas was also confirmed to be a nearly critical rotator. The disk imaging gives neither indication of a 1-arm spiral feature nor evidence of a secondary star reinforcing the interpretation that the secondary is certainly a low-mass and low-luminosity star or a degenerate companion.

THE Hα VARIATIONS OF η CARINAE DURING THE 2009.0 SPECTROSCOPIC EVENT

We report on Hα spectroscopy of the 2009.0 spectroscopic event of η Carinae collected via SMARTS observations using the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory 1.5 m telescope and echelle spectrograph. Our observations were made almost every night over a two-month interval around the predicted minimum of η Car. We observed a significant fading of the line emission that reached a minimum 7 days after the X-ray minimum. About 17 days prior to the Hα flux minimum, the Hα profile exhibited the emergence of a broad, P Cygni type, absorption component (near a Doppler shift of –500 km s–1) and a narrow absorption component (near –144 km s–1 and probably associated with intervening gas from the Little Homunculus Nebula). All these features were observed during the last event in 2003.5 and are probably related to the close periastron passage of the companion. We argue that these variations are consistent with qualitative expectations about changes in the primary stars stellar wind that result from the wind-wind collision with a massive binary companion and from atmospheric eclipses of the companion.

The H-band emitting region of the luminous blue variable P Cygni: Spectrophotometry and interferometry of the wind

We present the first high angular resolution observations in the near-infrared H band (1.6 μm) of the luminous blue variable star P Cygni. We obtained six-telescope interferometric observations with the CHARA Array and the MIRC beam combiner. These show that the spatial flux distribution is larger than expected for the stellar photosphere. A two-component model for the star (uniform disk) plus a halo (two-dimensional Gaussian) yields an excellent fit of the observations, and we suggest that the halo corresponds to flux emitted from the base of the stellar wind. This wind component contributes about 45% of the H-band flux and has an angular FWHM = 0.96 mas, compared to the predicted stellar diameter of 0.41 mas. We show several images reconstructed from the interferometric visibilities and closure phases, and they indicate a generally spherical geometry for the wind. We also obtained near-infrared spectrophotometry of P Cygni from which we derive the flux excess compared to a purely photospheric spectral energy distribution. The H-band flux excess matches that from the wind flux fraction derived from the two-component fits to the interferometry. We find evidence of significant near-infrared flux variability over the period from 2006 to 2010 that appears similar to the variations in the Hα emission flux from the wind.

A FIVE-YEAR SPECTROSCOPIC AND PHOTOMETRIC CAMPAIGN ON THE PROTOTYPICAL α CYGNI VARIABLE AND A-TYPE SUPERGIANT STAR DENEB

Deneb is often considered the prototypical A-type supergiant and is one of the visually most luminous stars in the Galaxy. A-type supergiants are potential extragalactic distance indicators, but the variability of these stars needs to be better characterized before this technique can be considered reliable. We analyzed 339 high-resolution echelle spectra of Deneb obtained over the five-year span of 1997 through 2001 as well as 370 Stromgren photometric measurements obtained during the same time frame. Our spectroscopic analysis included dynamical spectra of the Hα profile, Hα equivalent widths, and radial velocities measured from Si II λλ 6347, 6371. Time-series analysis reveals no obvious cyclic behavior that proceeds through multiple observing seasons, although we found a suspected 40 day period in two, non-consecutive observing seasons. Some correlations are found between photometric and radial velocity data sets and suggest radial pulsations at two epochs. No correlation is found between the variability of the Hα profiles and that of the radial velocities or the photometry. Lucy found evidence that Deneb was a long-period single-lined spectroscopic binary star, but our data set shows no evidence for radial velocity variations caused by a binary companion.

MWC 314: binary results from optical interferometry compared with spectroscopy and photometry

We initiated a multi-technique campaign to understand the physics and properties of the massive binary system MWC 314. Our observations included optical high-resolution spectroscopy and Johnson photometry, nearinfrared spectrophotometry, and K′−band long-baseline interferometry with the CHARA Array. Our results place strong constraints on the spectroscopic orbit, along with reasonable observations of the phase-locked photometric variability. Our interferometry, with input from the spectrophotometry, provides information on the geometry of the system that appears to consist of a primary star filling its Roche Lobe and loosing mass both onto a hidden companion and through the outer Lagrangian point, feeding a circumbinary disk. While the multi-faceted observing program is allowing us to place some constraints on the system, there is also a possibility that the outflow seen by CHARA is actually a jet and not a circumbinary disk.