403 research outputs found
A VLBI polarization study of SiO masers towards VY CMa
Maser emission from the SiO molecule has been widely observed in the
near-circumstellar envelopes of late-type, evolved stars. VLBI images can
resolve individual SiO maser spots, providing information about the kinematics
and magnetic field in the extended atmospheres of these stars. This poster
presents full polarization images of several SiO maser lines towards the
supergiant star VY CMa. VY CMa is a particularly strong SiO maser source and
allows observations of a wide range of maser transitions. We discuss
implications of these observations for VY CMa morphology, polarization, and
pumping models.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure: based on a poster paper at IAU Symposium 242:
Astrophysical masers and their environments, held at Alice Springs
(Australia), from March 12-16, 200
Circular polarization measurement in millimeter-wavelength spectral-line VLBI observations
This paper considers the problem of accurate measurement of circular
polarization in imaging spectral-line VLBI observations in the lambda=7 mm and
lambda=3 mm wavelength bands. This capability is especially valuable for the
full observational study of compact, polarized SiO maser components in the
near-circumstellar environment of late-type, evolved stars. Circular VLBI
polarimetry provides important constraints on SiO maser astrophysics, including
the theory of polarized maser emission transport, and on the strength and
distribution of the stellar magnetic field and its dynamical role in this
critical circumstellar region. We perform an analysis here of the data model
containing the instrumental factors that limit the accuracy of circular
polarization measurements in such observations, and present a corresponding
data reduction algorithm for their correction. The algorithm is an enhancement
of existing spectral line VLBI polarimetry methods using autocorrelation data
for calibration, but with innovations in bandpass determination,
autocorrelation polarization self-calibration, and general optimizations for
the case of low SNR, as applicable at these wavelengths. We present an example
data reduction at mm and derive an estimate of the predicted
accuracy of the method of m_c < 0.5% or better at lambda=7 mm and m_c < 0.5-1%
or better at lambda=3 mm. Both the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed
algorithm are discussed, along with suggestions for future work.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figure
Magnetic fields around evolved stars: further observations of HO maser polarization
We aim to detect the magnetic field and infer its properties around four AGB
stars using HO maser observations. The sample we observed consists of the
following sources: the semi-regular variable RT Vir and the Mira variables AP
Lyn, IK Tau, and IRC+60370. We observed the 6 HO maser
rotational transition, in full-polarization mode, to determine its linear and
circular polarization. Based on the Zeeman effect, one can infer the properties
of the magnetic field from the maser polarization analysis. We detected a total
of 238 maser features, in three of the four observed sources. No masers were
found toward AP Lyn. The observed masers are all located between 2.4 and 53.0
AU from the stars. Linear and circular polarization was found in 18 and 11
maser features, respectively. We more than doubled the number of AGB stars in
which magnetic field has been detected from HO maser polarization, as our
results confirm the presence of fields around IK Tau, RT Vir and IRC+60370. The
strength of the field along the line of sight is found to be between 47 and 331
mG in the HO maser region. Extrapolating this result to the surface of the
stars, assuming a toroidal field ( r), we find magnetic fields
of 0.3-6.9 G on the stellar surfaces. If, instead of a toroidal field, we
assume a poloidal field ( r), then the extrapolated magnetic
field strength on the stellar surfaces are in the range between 2.2 and
115 G. Finally, if a dipole field ( r) is assumed, the
field strength on the surface of the star is found to be between 15.8 and
1945 G. The magnetic energy of our sources is higher than the thermal and
kinetic energy in the HO maser region of this class of objects. This leads
us to conclude that, indeed, magnetic fields probably play an important role in
shaping the outflows of evolved stars. (abridged)Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in A&
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