2009: A Colliding-Wind Odyssey

in Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series (2013, January 01)

We present the results from two optical spectroscopic campaigns on colliding-wind binaries (CWB) which both occurred in 2009. The first one was on WR 140 (WC7pd + O5.5fc), the archetype of CWB, which ... [more ▼]

We present the results from two optical spectroscopic campaigns on colliding-wind binaries (CWB) which both occurred in 2009. The first one was on WR 140 (WC7pd + O5.5fc), the archetype of CWB, which experienced periastron passage of its highly elliptical 8-year orbit in January. The WR 140 campaign consisted of a unique and constructive collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers and took place at half a dozen locations, including Teide Observatory, Observatoire de Haute Provence, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and at several small private observatories. The second campaign was on a selection of 5 short-period WR + O binaries not yet studied for colliding-wind effects: WR 12 (WN8h), WR 21 (WN5o + O7 V), WR 30 (WC6 + O7.5 V), WR 31 (WN4o + O8), and WR 47 (WN6o + O5). The campaign took place at Leoncito Observatory, Argentina, during 1 month. We provide updated values of most of these systems for the orbital parameters, new estimates for the WR and O star masses and new constraints on the mass-loss rates and colliding wind geometry. [less ▲]

Stochastic gravito-inertial modes discovered by CoRoT in the hot Be star HD 51452

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2012), 546

Context. Be stars are rapidly rotating stars with a circumstellar decretion disk. They usually undergo pressure and/or gravity pulsation modes excited by the κ-mechanism, i.e. an effect of the opacity of ... [more ▼]

Context. Be stars are rapidly rotating stars with a circumstellar decretion disk. They usually undergo pressure and/or gravity pulsation modes excited by the κ-mechanism, i.e. an effect of the opacity of iron-peak elements in the envelope of the star. In the Milky Way, p-modes are observed in stars that are hotter than or equal to the B3 spectral type, while g-modes are observed at the B2 spectral type and cooler. <BR /> Aims: We observed a B0IVe star, HD 51452, with the high-precision, high-cadence photometric CoRoT satellite and high-resolution, ground-based HARPS and SOPHIE spectrographs to study its pulsations in great detail. We also used the lower resolution spectra available in the BeSS database. <BR /> Methods: We analyzed the CoRoT and spectroscopic data with several methods: Clean-NG, FreqFind, and a sliding window method. We also analyzed spectral quantities, such as the violet over red (V/R) emission variations, to obtain information about the variation in the circumstellar environment. We calculated a stellar structure model with the ESTER code to test the various interpretation of the results. <BR /> Results: We detect 189 frequencies of variations in the CoRoT light curve in the range between 0 and 4.5 c d[SUP]-1[/SUP]. The main frequencies are also recovered in the spectroscopic data. In particular we find that HD 51452 undergoes gravito-inertial modes that are not in the domain of those excited by the κ-mechanism. We propose that these are stochastic modes excited in the convective zones and that at least some of them are a multiplet of r-modes (i.e. subinertial modes mainly driven by the Coriolis acceleration). Stochastically excited gravito-inertial modes had never been observed in any star, and theory predicted that their very low amplitudes would be undetectable even with CoRoT. We suggest that the amplitudes are enhanced in HD 51452 because of the very rapid stellar rotation. In addition, we find that the amplitude variations of these modes are related to the occurrence of minor outbursts. <BR /> Conclusions: Thanks to CoRoT data, we have detected a new kind of pulsations in HD 51452, which are stochastically excited gravito-inertial modes, probably due to its very rapid rotation. These modes are probably also present in other rapidly rotating hot Be stars. The CoRoT space mission, launched on December 27, 2006, has been developed and is operated by CNES, with the contribution of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, ESA (RSSD, and Science Programs), Germany, and Spain. This work uses observations partly made with the HARPS instrument at the 3.6-m ESO telescope (La Silla, Chile) in the framework of the LP182.D-0356, as well as data obtained with Sophie at OHP and from the BeSS database.Table 3 is available in electronic form at <A href="http://www.aanda.org">http://www.aanda.org</A> [less ▲]

Spectroscopy of the archetype colliding-wind binary WR 140 during the 2009 January periastron passage

in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2011), 418

We present the results from the spectroscopic monitoring of WR 140 (WC7pd + O5.5fc) during its latest periastron passage in 2009 January. The observational campaign consisted of a constructive ... [more ▼]

We present the results from the spectroscopic monitoring of WR 140 (WC7pd + O5.5fc) during its latest periastron passage in 2009 January. The observational campaign consisted of a constructive collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers. It took place at six locations, including Teide Observatory, Observatoire de Haute Provence, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and Observatoire du Mont Mégantic. WR 140 is known as the archetype of colliding-wind binaries and it has a relatively long period (?8 yr) and high eccentricity (?0.9). We provide updated values for the orbital parameters, new estimates for the WR and O star masses and new constraints on the mass-loss rates and colliding-wind geometry. [less ▲]

CoRoT photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy of the interacting eclipsing binary AU Monocerotis

in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2010), 401

Analyses of very accurate CoRoT space photometry, past Johnson V photoelectric photometry and high-resolution echelle spectra led to the determination of improved and consistent fundamental stellar ... [more ▼]

Analyses of very accurate CoRoT space photometry, past Johnson V photoelectric photometry and high-resolution echelle spectra led to the determination of improved and consistent fundamental stellar properties of both components of AU Monocerotis. We derived new, accurate ephemerides for both the orbital motion (with a period of ) and the long-term, overall brightness variation (with a period of ) of this strongly interacting Be + G semi-detached binary. It is shown that this long-term variation must be due to attenuation of the total light by some variable circumbinary material. We derived the binary mass ratio M[SUB]G[/SUB]/M[SUB]B[/SUB] = 0.17 +/- 0.03 based on the assumption that the G-type secondary fills its Roche lobe and rotates synchronously. Using this value of the mass ratio as well as the radial velocities of the G-star, we obtained a consistent light curve model and improved estimates of the stellar masses, radii, luminosities and effective temperatures. We demonstrate that the observed lines of the B-type primary may not be of photospheric origin. We also discover rapid and periodic light changes visible in the high-quality residual CoRoT light curves. AU Mon is put into perspective by a comparison with known binaries exhibiting long-term cyclic light changes. Based on photometry collected by the CoRoT space mission as well as spectroscopy obtained with the FEROS spectrograph attached to the 2.2-m telescope at European Southern Observatory (ESO), La Silla, Chile, under the ESO Large Programme LP178.D-0361, and with the SOPHIE spectrograph of the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (France). The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with the participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC). E-mail: maarten.desmet@ster.kuleuven.be [less ▲]

Emission line stars in the Milky Way with the GAIA space mission

Poster (2009)

First asteroseismic results from CoRoT

in Communications in Asteroseismology (2008), 156

About one year after the end of the first observational run and six months after the first CoRoT data delivery, we comment the data exploitation progress for different types of stars. We consider first ... [more ▼]

About one year after the end of the first observational run and six months after the first CoRoT data delivery, we comment the data exploitation progress for different types of stars. We consider first results to illustrate how these data of unprecedented quality shed a new light on the field of stellar seismology. [less ▲]

The Gaia satellite: a tool for Emission Line Stars and Hot Stars

in SF2A-2008 (2008, November 01)

The Gaia satellite will be launched at the end of 2011. It will observe at least 1 billion stars, and among them several million emission line stars and hot stars. Gaia will provide parallaxes for each ... [more ▼]

The Gaia satellite will be launched at the end of 2011. It will observe at least 1 billion stars, and among them several million emission line stars and hot stars. Gaia will provide parallaxes for each star and spectra for stars till V magnitude equal to 17. After a general description of Gaia, we present the codes and methods, which are currently developed by our team. They will provide automatically the astrophysical parameters and spectral classification for the hot and emission line stars in the Milky Way and other close local group galaxies such as the Magellanic Clouds. [less ▲]

Theoretical Oscillator Strengths in Pr III and application to some CP stars

in Astrophysical Journal. Supplement Series (2000), 129

Au sujet des cratères lunaires et d'un astronome montois...

in Galactée (1999), 16