UV and optical line variations in {epsilon} Persei
Short Name:
J/ApJ/525/420
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
The rapid variable star, {epsilon} Per (B0.5 IV-III), displays the largest amplitude profile fluctuations known among the growing number of massive, spectrum-variable stars. Here we present an analysis of a continuous 5 day run of IUE UV spectroscopy, and we show for the first time that the systematic, blue-to-red moving patterns observed in high-quality optical spectra are also present in the UV photospheric lines. We present cross-correlation functions of the individual spectra with that of a narrow-lined standard that produce a high signal-to-noise ratio representation of the blue-to-red moving bump patterns found in individual lines. We then use time series analysis methods to determine the periodic components of the profile variations (after reregistering the spectra to correct for binary motion). There are at least six periods present (ranging from 8.46 to 2.27 hr), and most of these signals are also found in optical line variations observed in 1986 (although the relative amplitudes have changed significantly). Furthermore, analysis of a shorter time series of IUE spectra from 1984 shows that similar periods were present then. We also present H{alpha} and He I 6678 profiles obtained with the Georgia State University Multi-Telescope Telescope, which were made simultaneously with IUE, and we show that the profile variations are essentially identical in the UV and optical ranges.
We present and analyze two seasons of intense photometric monitoring in the Stroemgren uvbyH{beta} system of {eta} Carinae (October 1992-August 1994). The luminous blue variable (LBV) in the core did not show much S Dor activity, i.e. it was in a relatively quiescent stage. This situation was very favourable for studying its optical micro variations. It appears that the central LBV pulsates (presumably in a non-radial mode) like other massive evolved stars, the {alpha} Cyg variables. The quasi-period is 58.56d. The linear ephemeris is: JD_max_=2448875.0 +58.56 E. Support was found for the existence of the presumed periodicity of 52.4d of the so-called "dimples", shallow dips in the light curve which only last for a few days. The cause may be the eclipse of a small companion or of a hot spot in an accretion disk. The H{beta} index became bluer by ~0.07mag during the last 11/2 years and shows an oscillation in anti-phase with the 58.56d pulsation, suggesting that the HII region(s) responsible for the hydrogen line emission has a relatively high luminosity. This is another reason to suppose that a second luminous source, perhaps a luminous disk (with a hot spot), may be present in the {eta} Car system.
Table 1 contents 852 simultaneous measurements collected in each of the four uvby colours of the Stromgren photometric system for the eclipsing binary system V2154 Cyg. The data are magnitude differences (Du,Dv,Db,Dy,D(b-y),Dm1,Dc1) of the variable star minus comparison star in the standard system versus Heliocentric Julian Day. The comparison star is HD 204626. The observations were carried out (by E. Rodriguez, J.M. Garcia, S. Martin and A. Claret) through the year 1998 using the 0.90m telescope at Sierra Nevada Observatory, Spain. This telescope is equipped with a six-channel uvby-Hbeta spectrograph photometer for simultaneous measurements in uvby or in the narrow and wide Hbeta channels, respectively.
We carried out a Stroemgren photometric survey of thirteen southern bright stars, including {beta} Pictoris itself, during three years, d'Astrophysique de Paris, in order to detect possible weak photometric variations. {beta} Pictoris presents a small long-term variation with a change of brightness by -2.1x10^-3^mag per year, over about two years from beginning of 1996, a situation relatively similar to the one about 18 years ago. Among the other stars, only HD 38392 presents weak photometric variations with a period of 21.4 days, probably related to the star rotation period. The negative result concerning photometric variations of all other stars suggests that those stars are actually really stable and strengthens the reality of the variations discovered in the case of {beta} Pictoris and HD 38392.
Differential Stroemgren uvby photometry obtained with the Four College Automated Photoelectric Telescope shows that the hot HgMn star 33 Gem is photometrically constant. The Si star HD 15980 is found to be a variable whose period is significantly greater than 2 years. The unusual magnetic chemically peculiar Co star HR 1094 is discovered to be a low amplitude photometric variable with the magnetic field period of Hill & Blake (1996MNRAS.278..183H), 2.9761 days. The ephemeris for the magnetic chemically peculiar star HD 115708 of Wade et al. (1996A&A...307..500W) is confirmed with the error in its period of 5.07622 days being greatly reduced. The u, v, b, and y light curves for both HR 1094 and HD 115708 exhibit differences which indicate complex elemental photospheric abundance distributions.
theta Tucanae (HR 139, V=6.11, A7 IV) is a binary with a delta Scuti primary that was the subject of several photometric monitoring campaigns during the 1970s and again in the 1990s. The data presented in this paper were collected during an observing campaign from mid-September to the end of October 1993 at ESO La Silla, Chile, using the simultaneous Stroemgren uvby photometer at the SAT telescope during 25 partial nights. We present a time series of 1432 four-colour extinction-corrected magnitudes in the SAT instrumental system. This collection of data forms a homogeneous and contiguous dataset, obtained in one single instrumental setup, at one single observing site using one single observing protocol, and with centralized data reduction.
It seems that the recently identified class of pulsating stars, the gamma Dor type-variables, includes objects with different metal abundances and a large percentage of binaries. We looked for indicators of metal abundance peculiarities and stellar binarity in a sample of 40 confirmed gamma Dor stars. Absolute magnitudes from Hipparcos parallaxes and UV magnitudes, from the S2/S68 experiment on board the TD1 satellite, are retrieved from databases and compared with predicted values. A set of non variable normal stars is used to check the consistency of this analysis and also serve as reference stars. Twenty-nine stars of the gamma Dor star sample, which is 73% of it, are discovered having abnormal UV fluxes constantly showing UV flux excesses compared to those computed with the atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, and metallicity) determined from calibration of the uvbyBeta indices. The reason for this UV excess of flux at 196.5nm and at 236.5nm, which was previously known only for HD 209295, cannot be ascribed to binarity alone. An extra source of UV flux or less UV absorption - yet unknown - must be present.
