BIMA CO Observation of EP Aqr the Semiregular Pulsating Star with a Double Component Line Profile

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland array interferometric observation of EP Aqr, a semiregular pulsating star with a double component line profile in the CO J=1-0 line. The broad component shows a flat-top profile, and the narrow component shows a spiky strong peak. Though the previous single dish observations suggested that the CO J=2-1 line exhibits a Gaussian-like profile, the CO J=1-0 line does not. The spatial distributions of both the narrow and broad components appears to be roughly round with the same peak positions. No significant velocity gradient is seen. The spatial-kinetic properties of the molecular envelope of EP Aqr are reminiscent of a multiple shell structure model rather than a bipolar flow and disk model. A problem of this interpretation is that no evidence of interaction between the narrow and broad component regions is seen. A Gaussian-like feature seen in the CO J=2-1 line might play a key role to understand the spatio-kinetic properties of the molecular envelope of EP Aqr.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in Ap