31 research outputs found
Interferometric, Astrometric, and Photometric Studies of Epsilon Aurigae: Seeing the Disk Around a Distant Star
Epsilon (ε) Aurigae is a binary star system that has baffled astronomers for 170 years. In 1821 it was first noticed that the star system had dimmed by nearly 50%. After many decades of photometric monitoring, the 27.1 year period was finally established in 1903. A few years later, in 1912, Henry Norris Russell published the first analytic methods for binary star analysis. Later application of these formulae came to an interesting conclusion; the system was composed of two stars: the visible F-type supergiant, and an equally massive, but yet photometrically and spectroscopically invisible, companion.
Several theories were advanced to explain this low-light to high-mass conundrum, eventually settling on the notion that the companion object is obscured from view by a disk of opaque material. With this topic solved, the debate shifted the evolutionary state of the system. Two scenarios became dominant: the system is either relativity young, and composed of a massive, 15 Mo (solar mass), F-type supergiant and a nearly equally massive main sequence companion inside of the disk; or a much older and significantly less massive, 4 Mo, F-type post-asymptotic giant branch object with a more massive, 6 Mo, companion surrounded by a debris disk.
In this dissertation I disentangle the two evolutionary states by comparing the photometric behavior of the F-type star to known supergiant and post-asymptotic giant branch objects; and deriving a dynamical mass for the two components using astrometric, radial velocity, and interferometric data. Along with this, I provide the first interferometric images during the eclipse which prove the 50% dimming is indeed caused by an opaque disk.
The first chapter presents the reader with the status quo of ε Aurigae research and the topics I wish to address in this dissertation. Chapter two presents an analysis of nearly 30 years of photometry on the system, concluding the star periodically exhibits stable pulsation on 1/3 orbital timescales. The next two chapters are complementary in many ways. Chapter three presents the first interferometric images of ε Aurigae during eclipse and models the star and eclipsing body in unprecedented detail. Chapter four presents new combined astrometric and radial velocity orbital solutions using a myriad of historical data sources and modern analysis techniques. Lastly in Chapter five I conclude that the system is in the high-mass evolutionary state and provide estimates of the system component masses and distance
The 2010 Interferometric Imaging Beauty Contest
We present the results of the fourth Optical/IR Interferometry Imaging Beauty
Contest. The contest consists of blind imaging of test data sets derived from
model sources and distributed in the OI-FITS format. The test data consists of
spectral data sets on an object "observed" in the infrared with spectral
resolution. There were 4 different algorithms competing this time: BSMEM the
Bispectrum Maximum Entropy Method by Young, Baron & Buscher; RPR the Recursive
Phase Reconstruction by Rengaswamy; SQUEEZE a Markov Chain Monte Carlo
algorithm by Baron, Monnier & Kloppenborg; and, WISARD the Weak-phase
Interferometric Sample Alternating Reconstruction Device by Vannier & Mugnier.
The contest model image, the data delivered to the contestants and the rules
are described as well as the results of the image reconstruction obtained by
each method. These results are discussed as well as the strengths and
limitations of each algorithm.Comment: To be published in SPIE 2010 "Optical and infrared interferometry II
Interferometric Studies of the extreme binary, Aurigae: Pre-eclipse Observations
We report new and archival K-band interferometric uniform disk diameters
obtained with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer for the eclipsing binary star
Aurigae, in advance of the start of its eclipse in 2009. The
observations were inteded to test whether low amplitude variations in the
system are connected with the F supergiant star (primary), or with the
intersystem material connecting the star with the enormous dark disk
(secondary) inferred to cause the eclipses. Cepheid-like radial pulsations of
the F star are not detected, nor do we find evidence for proposed 6% per decade
shrinkage of the F star. The measured 2.27 +/- 0.11 milli-arcsecond K band
diameter is consistent with a 300 times solar radius F supergiant star at the
Hipparcos distance of 625 pc. These results provide an improved context for
observations during the 2009-2011 eclipse.Comment: Accepted for Ap.J. Letters, Oct. 200
Interferometry of Aurigae: Characterization of the asymmetric eclipsing disk
We report on a total of 106 nights of optical interferometric observations of
the Aurigae system taken during the last 14 years by four beam
combiners at three different interferometric facilities. This long sequence of
data provides an ideal assessment of the system prior to, during, and after the
recent 2009-2011 eclipse. We have reconstructed model-independent images from
the 10 in-eclipse epochs which show that a disk-like object is indeed
responsible for the eclipse. Using new 3D, time-dependent modeling software, we
derive the properties of the F-star (diameter, limb darkening), determine
previously unknown orbital elements (, ), and access the global
structures of the optically thick portion of the eclipsing disk using both
geometric models and approximations of astrophysically relevant density
distributions. These models may be useful in future hydrodynamical modeling of
the system. Lastly, we address several outstanding research questions including
mid-eclipse brightening, possible shrinking of the F-type primary, and any
warps or sub-features within the disk.Comment: 105 pages, 57 figures. This is an author-created, un-copyedited
version of an article accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal
Supplement Series. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or
omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from i
Probing the Inner Disk Emission of the Herbig Ae Stars HD 163296 and HD 190073
The physical processes occurring within the inner few astronomical units of
proto-planetary disks surrounding Herbig Ae stars are crucial to setting the
environment in which the outer planet-forming disk evolves and put critical
constraints on the processes of accretion and planet migration. We present the
most complete published sample of high angular resolution H- and K-band
observations of the stars HD 163296 and HD 190073, including 30 previously
unpublished nights of observations of the former and 45 nights of the latter
with the CHARA long-baseline interferometer, in addition to archival VLTI data.
We confirm previous observations suggesting significant near-infrared emission
originates within the putative dust evaporation front of HD 163296 and show
this is the case for HD 190073 as well. The H- and K-band sizes are the same
within for HD 163296 and within for HD 190073. The
radial surface brightness profiles for both disks are remarkably Gaussian-like
with little or no sign of the sharp edge expected for a dust evaporation front.
Coupled with spectral energy distribution analysis, our direct measurements of
the stellar flux component at H and K bands suggest that HD 190073 is much
younger (<400 kyr) and more massive (~5.6 M) than previously thought,
mainly as a consequence of the new Gaia distance (891 pc).Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure
Dusty disk winds at the sublimation rim of the highly inclined, low mass YSO SU Aurigae
T Tauri stars are low-mass young stars whose disks provide the setting for
planet formation. Despite this, their structure is poorly understood. We
present new infrared interferometric observations of the SU Aurigae
circumstellar environment that offer 3 x higher resolution and better baseline
position angle coverage over previous observations. We investigate the
characteristics of circumstellar material around SU Aur, constrain the disk
geometry, composition and inner dust rim structure. The CHARA array offers
opportunities for long baseline observations, with baselines up to 331 m. Using
the CLIMB 3-telescope combiner in the K-band allows us to measure visibilities
as well as closure phase. We undertook image reconstruction for
model-independent analysis, and geometric modeling. Additionally, the fitting
of radiative transfer models constrains the physical parameters of the disk.
For the first time, a dusty disk wind is introduced to the radiative transfer
code TORUS to model protoplanetary disks. Our implementation is motivated by
theoretical dusty disk winds, where magnetic field lines drive dust above the
disk plane close to the sublimation zone. Image reconstruction reveals an
inclined disk with slight asymmetry along its minor-axis, likely due to
inclination effects obscuring the inner disk rim through absorption of incident
star light on the near-side and thermal re-emission/scattering of the far-side.
Geometric modelling of a skewed ring finds the inner rim at 0.17+/-0.02 au with
an inclination of 50.9+/-1.0 degrees and minor axis position angle 60.8+/-1.2
degrees. Radiative transfer modelling shows a flared disk with an inner radius
at 0.18 au which implies a grain size of 0.4 um and a scale height of 15.0 au
at 100 au. Among the tested radiative transfer models, only the dusty disk wind
successfully accounts for the K-band excess by introducing dust above the
mid-plane.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy \& Astrophysic
In the Shadow of the Transiting Disk: Imaging epsilon Aurigae in Eclipse
Eclipses of the single-line spectroscopic binary star, epsilon Aurigae,
provide an opportunity to study the poorly-defined companion. We used the MIRC
beam combiner on the CHARA array to create interferometric images during
eclipse ingress. Our results demonstrate that the eclipsing body is a dark disk
that is opaque and tilted, and therefore exclude alternative models for the
system. These data constrain the geometry and masses of the components,
providing evidence that the F-star is not a massive supergiant star.Comment: As submitted to Nature. Published in Nature April 8, 2010