scholarly journals Recent Results from Ultraviolet and Optical Spectropolarimetry of Hot Stars

1994 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 219-229
Author(s):  
K.S. Bjorkman
Keyword(s):  
Linear Polarization ◽  
Optical Data ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Polarization Data ◽  
Hot Stars ◽  
New Models ◽  
Be Star ◽  
The Continuum

The first comprehensive linear polarization data on hot stars covering the spectral range from 1500 to 7600Å are presented. These results are based on recent observations made with the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), combined with ground-based observations from the Pine Bluff Observatory. Implications of the data for models of the circumstellar envelopes of hot stars are discussed, with particular emphasis on the surprising results found for the rapidly rotating Be stars. In particular, WUPPE discovered that the continuum polarization in Be stars decreases into the ultraviolet, which was not predicted by models prior to the observations. Time variability in the optical data is also discussed. Possible interpretations of these results are examined in the light of recent new models for Be star disks.

scholarly journals O and Of Stars

1973 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 93-107
Author(s):  
Peter S. Conti
Keyword(s):  
Visible Spectrum ◽  
Emission Lines ◽  
Absorption Lines ◽  
Evolutionary Status ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Type B ◽  
No Emission ◽  
Hot Stars ◽  
Hydrogen Lines ◽  
The Continuum

My intention here is to discuss the ‘high temperature’ portion of this symposium and call attention to those stars that are called Of. There are some similarities in spectral appearance to WR stars, e.g. emission lines. I should first like to define what I think are the essential differences among four groups of hot stars;O stars: Stars that have only absorption lines in the visible spectrum. Type O is distinguished from type B by the presence of He ii 4541 at MK dispersion. It may be that some (supergiants) O stars will have emission lines in the rocket UV region but this description will be primarily concerned with ground based observations.Of stars: These are O type stars that also have λλ 4634,40 N iii in emission above the continuum. In addition to normal O star absorption lines and N iii emission, they may also have other lines in emission. I will discuss this further below.Oe stars: These are O type stars that have emission in the hydrogen lines (or at least at Hα), but with no emission in N iii or in other lines. I personally think that this small class of objects is related to the Be stars in their evolutionary status and in their emission mechanism.WR stars: These stars are primarily characterized by emission lines. The only absorption lines seen are violet shifted (P Cyg type). Although in some cases emission lines appear which are similar to those found in some Of stars, the latter types always have some unshifted absorption lines present. Several Of stars have P Cyg profiles in some lines.

scholarly journals Magnetic Fields in Be Stars? (Review Paper)

1987 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 38-48
Author(s):  
Paul K. Barker
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Star Models ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Be Star

AbstractNo mean longitudinal or toroidal magnetic fields have yet been detected on any classical Be star. Models of stellar winds and circumstellar envelopes around magnetic Be stars are not appreciably constrained by present observed upper limits on field strength. A few magnetic Be stars do exist among the helium strong stars, but these objects show spectral phenomenology which is unmistakably distinct from that shown by every other object known as a Be star.

scholarly journals Photometric studies of Be star variability

1994 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 299-300
Author(s):  
John R. Percy
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Balmer Line ◽  
Radial Pulsation ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Photometric Study ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Hot Stars ◽  
Be Star ◽  
Short Term Variability

Be stars are hot stars which have shown emission in at least one Balmer line on at least one occasion. As the definition implies, the Be phenomenon can be variable with time: on time scales of days to decades as the circumstellar disc develops and disperses; on time scales of days to months in a few Be stars which are interacting binaries; on time scales of 0.2 to 2 days due to non-radial pulsation or possibly rotation. The Be stars are worthy of photometric study because they are bright and numerous; the nature of the short-term variability is not yet agreed upon; the cause of the development of the disc - and its relationship to the short-term variability - is also not yet known.

scholarly journals Models for the Circumstellar Envelopes of Be Stars: (Review Paper)

1976 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 335-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Marlborough
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Circumstellar Matter ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Restricted Problems ◽  
Be Star ◽  
Physical Phenomena

A survey is presented of the theoretical attempts to determine the structure of the circumstellar matter around Be stars. The general equations describing the structure and dynamics of Be star envelopes are given. The complications introduced by various physical phenomena are briefly discussed and initial attempts to solve restricted problems are considered. The various ad hoc models proposed for Be stars are discussed and comparisons of the observations with predictions of these models are illustrated. The strengths and weaknesses of these models are evaluated and areas where progress is being or should be made are considered.

scholarly journals The Visual Absolute Magnitude of the Central Objects in Be Stars

2000 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 55-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Moujtahid ◽  
J. Zorec
Keyword(s):  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Circumstellar Envelope ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Energy Distributions ◽  
B Stars ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes ◽  
Magnitude Difference ◽  
Good Agreement ◽  
The Continuum

AbstractUsing the circumstellar envelope parameters (mean temperature, extent and opacity) derived by fitting theoretical energy distributions to those observed in a sample of 20 Be stars, we estimate the respective magnitude difference ΔV = V – V* of the continuum flux excess produced by their circumstellar envelopes. Using then the HIPPARCOS parallaxes of these stars and the ISM E(B-V) colour excesses derived with the surrounding normal B stars, we estimate the visual absolute magnitude of the central objects in the program Be stars. In most cases the results obtained are in good agreement with the absolute magnitudes obtained from the photospheric (λ1, D) components derived in the BCD spectrophotometric system. There are, however, strong discrepancies in 4 program stars which deserve further studies. The magnitude excess seems to be ΔV ≲ 0 for the higher effective temperatures only. There is no correlation between ΔV and Vsin i, as would be expected if the circumstellar envelopes were strongly flattened.

scholarly journals Continuous spectra of circumstellar envelopes of Be stars

1994 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 425-426
Author(s):  
D. Rohe-Koths ◽  
J. Dachs
Keyword(s):  
Line Emission ◽  
Circumstellar Disks ◽  
Balmer Line ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Continuous Emission ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Recombination Radiation ◽  
Infrared Spectral ◽  
Be Star ◽  
Central Stars

Line emission in Be star spectra is accompanied by continuous emission both in the Balmer continuum and in the infrared spectral region, due to the same process that is responsible for Balmer line emission, i.e. to recombination radiation from ionized hydrogen in the extended circumstellar disks surrounding the hot central stars.

scholarly journals Interferometric survey of Be stars with the CHARA array

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S272) ◽  
pp. 634-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamina N. Touhami ◽  
Douglas R. Gies ◽  
Gail H. Schaefer ◽  
Noel D. Richardson ◽  
Stephen J. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rotational Velocity ◽  
Circumstellar Disks ◽  
Geometrical Parameters ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Disk Model ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Near Ir ◽  
Be Star ◽  
Chara Array

AbstractWe present the first spatially resolved observations of circumstellar envelopes of 25 bright northern Be stars. The survey was performed with the CHARA Array interferometer in the K-band at intermediate and long baselines. The interferometric visibilities are well fitted by a viscous disk model where the gas density steeply decreases with the radius. Physical and geometrical parameters such as the density profile, the inclination, and the position angles of the circumstellar disks are determined. We find that the density radial exponent ranges between n ≈ 2.4 − 3.2, which is consistent with previous IRAS measurements. We have also obtained simultaneous optical and near-IR spectrophotometric measurements, and found that the model reproduces well the observed disk IR-continuum excess emission. By combining the projected rotational velocity of the Be star with the disk inclination derived from interferometry, we give estimates of the equatorial rotational velocities of these Be stars.

Linear Polarization and the Dynamics of Circumstellar Disks of Classical Be Stars

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (S307) ◽  
pp. 377-378
Author(s):  
Robbie J. Halonen ◽  
Carol E. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Linear Polarization ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Circumstellar Disks ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Stellar Radiation ◽  
Circumstellar Gas ◽  
Linearly Polarized ◽  
Spherically Symmetric Distribution ◽  
Be Star ◽  
Dynamical Nature

AbstractThe intrinsic linearly polarized light arising from electron scattering of stellar radiation in a non-spherically symmetric distribution of gas is a characterizing feature of classical Be stars. The distinct polarimetric signature provides a mean for directly probing the physical and geometric properties of the gaseous material enveloping these rapidly-rotating massive stars. Using a Monte Carlo radiative transfer computation and a self-consistent radiative equilibrium solution for the circumstellar gas, we explore the role of this observable signature in investigating the dynamical nature of classical Be star disks. In particular, we focus on the potential for using linearly polarized light to develop diagnostics of mass-loss events and to trace the evolution of the gas in a circumstellar disk. An informed context for interpreting the observed linear polarization signature can play an important role in identifying the physical process(es) which govern the formation and dissipation of the gaseous disks surrounding classical Be stars.

scholarly journals Rotationally-Enhanced Stellar Winds (Review Paper)

1987 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 316-338
Author(s):  
J. M. Marlborough
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Stellar Rotation ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Wind Model ◽  
Be Star

The rotationally-enhanced stellar wind model for Be stars represents one attempt to understand many of the phenomena related to Be stars in terms of a stellar wind distorted and perhaps also enhanced by rapid stellar rotation. This review will concentrate exclusively on this particular approach; the current status of other attempts to model the circumstellar envelopes (CE) of Be stars are described in other reviews in this volume. It is assumed that Be stars are single stars; if a member of a multiple system, the separation of all components from the Be star is assumed to be sufficiently large that interactions due to mass transfer from any companion to the Be star are negligible.

scholarly journals Physical Properties of Circumstellar Envelopes in Be Stars Derived from their Long-term Spectrophotometric Variations

2000 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 510-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Moujtahid ◽  
J. Zorec ◽  
A.M. Hubert
Keyword(s):  
Energy Distribution ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Linear Function ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Be Stars ◽  
Circumstellar Envelopes ◽  
Visual Magnitude ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Continuum

AbstractThe long-term visible spectrophotometric variations depicted by the following parameters: V the apparent visual magnitude; Φrb the gradient of the observed Paschen energy distribution and D the total Balmer discontinuity (BD) of 49 Be stars in different spectrophotometric phases (SPh-E: spectrophotometric phase where the second component of the BD is in emission; SPh-A: spectrophotometric phase where the second component of the BD is in absorption) were translated into CE physical parameters. These parameters are: R/R* the mean extent of the CE zone that produces the visible energy distribution; Tenv its mean temperature; τ the continuum opacity at λ0.56μm. The results obtained show that the triplet of parameters (V, Φrb, D) do not depend on the (R/R*, Tenv, τ) set of parameters in the same way if Be stars are in a SPh-E or in a SPh-A phase. Independently of the spectrophotometric phase, Tenv always decreases as a linear function of (R/R*)−1. In SPh-E it is (R/R*,)−1 ≤ 0.7, and in SPh-A it is (R/R*)−1 ≥ 0.7. All SPh behaviours can be summarized by the relation ∂Tenv/∂(R*/R) = ∂Tenv/∂τ × ∂τ/∂(R*/R) ≥ 0, which describes different spectrophotometric behaviours in both SPh-E and SPh-A phases.

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