R. W. Hanuschik

Stellarv sini and optical emission line widths in Be stars

I re-investigate empirical correlations between line widths of photospheric absorption lines — as a measure of the stellar projected rotational velocityv sini- and of circumstellar emission lines in Be stars. The degree of this correlation is a measure for the kinematic, i.e., rotational, contribution to the total emission line broadening.From the literature and from additional data, I have collected a sample of photoelectric measurements of Balmer and Feii emission lines of the 115 brightest Be stars in the sky, most of them observed several times during the past decade. I investigate the following emission line widths parameters: full width at half maximum, total width at the base, and double-peak separation. I find from the FWHM that the basic origin of emission line broadening in Be stars is undoubtedly rotational, the correlations withv sini being best for weaker emission lines while Hα shows considerable scatter. Total width at the base is uncorrelated withv sini except for the Feii lines. Peak separation is found to be a function both ofv sini and of equivalent width. The latter dependence can straightforwardly be understood by the fact that within Huangs disk model peak separation, normalized tov sini, is governed by the outer envelope radius.I conclude that observational evidence leaves no doubt that Be star envelopes as visible in optical emission lines are rotationally supported and have axisymmetric geometry.

Observational Evidence for Global Oscillations in Be Star Disks

From a long-term spectroscopic observing campaign of Be stars we have found that their emission line profiles separate into two classes, the second of which is very asymmetric. The sign of asymmetry changes on a timescale of a few years. We show that these line profiles and the well-known enigmaticV/R variations observed in some Be stars are two aspects of the same phenomenon, one-armed global oscillations in a Keplerian disk. We present model profiles and a line fit to support this hypothesis and find good overall agreement.