Eta Carinae: a perfect periastron passage in 2020

• Grant number: 19/02029-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: May 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Stellar Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: Augusto Damineli Neto
• Grantee: Augusto Damineli Neto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The massive binary system Eta Carinae will be passing through periastron on 17 February 2020, when it crosses the meridian around mid-night. This fact and the availability of particular ground-based observing facilities make this the best opportunity ever to monitor the associated spectroscopic and photometric variability. We plan to carry a dense time sampling of its spectrum through the entire optical window, at very high signal-to-noise and high spectral resolution. Simultaneous observations will be carried at X-rays, interferometry, radio interferometry, Ultraviolet and optical by a large international collaboration. The un-precedent amount and quality of data and the use of a 3D state of art computational code are prone to clarify the basic parameters of the binary system and its wind-wind collision. We plan to organize a workshop to be held at IAGUSP in late 2020. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

WEIGELT, G.; HOFMANN, K. -H.; SCHERTL, D.; LOPEZ, B.; PETROV, R. G.; LAGARDE, S.; BERIO, PH.; JAFFE, W.; HENNING, TH.; MILLOUR, F.; et al. VLTI-MATISSE chromatic aperture-synthesis imaging of eta Carinae's stellar wind across the Br alpha line Periastron passage observations in February 2020. Astronomy & Astrophysics, v. 652, AUG 25 2021. (19/02029-2, 17/18191-8)

GULL, THEODORE R.; NAVARETE, FELIPE; CORCORAN, MICHAEL F.; DAMINELI, AUGUSTO; ESPINOZA, DAVID; HAMAGUCHI, KENJI; HARTMAN, HENRIK; HILLIER, D. JOHN; MADURA, THOMAS; MOFFAT, ANTHONY F. J.; et al. Eta Carinae: A Tale of Two Periastron Passages. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, v. 923, n. 1, DEC 2021. (19/02029-2, 17/18191-8)

NAVARETE, FELIPE; DAMINELI, AUGUSTO; RAMIREZ, AURA E.; ROCHA, DANILO F.; ALMEIDA, LEONARDO A.. Distance and age of the massive stellar cluster Westerlund 1-I. Parallax method using Gaia-EDR3. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 516, n. 1, p. 13-pg., 2022-09-09. (19/02029-2, 11/51680-6)

STRAWN, EMILY; RICHARDSON, NOEL D.; MOFFAT, ANTHONY F. J.; IBRAHIM, NOUR; LANE, ALEXIS; PICKETT, CONNOR; CHENE, ANDRE-NICOLAS; CORCORAN, MICHAEL F.; DAMINELI, AUGUSTO; GULL, THEODORE R.; et al. The orbital kinematics of eta Carinae over three periastra with a possible detection of the elusive secondary's motion. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 519, n. 4, p. 11-pg., 2023-03-01. (11/51680-6, 19/02029-2)

ROCHA, DANILO F.; ALMEIDA, LEONARDO A.; DAMINELI, AUGUSTO; NAVARETE, FELIPE; ABDUL-MASIH, MICHAEL; MACE, GREGORY N.. Distance and age of the massive stellar cluster Westerlund 1-II. The eclipsing binary W36. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 517, n. 3, p. 14-pg., 2022-10-27. (19/02029-2, 11/51680-6)

NAVARETE, F.; DAMINELI, A.; STEINER, J. E.; BLUM, R. D.. Principal component analysis tomography in near-infrared integral field spectroscopy of young stellar objects - I. Revisiting the high-mass protostar W33A. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 503, n. 1, p. 22-pg., 2021-03-12. (19/02029-2, 17/18191-8)

DAMINELI, A.; NAVARETE, F.; HILLIER, D. J.; MOFFAT, A. F. J.; CORCORAN, M. F.; GULL, T. R.; RICHARDSON, N. D.; WEIGELT, G.; MORRIS, P. W.; STEVENS, I. Spectroscopic signatures of the vanishing natural coronagraph of Eta Carinae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 505, n. 1, p. 963-978, JUL 2021. (11/51680-6, 19/02029-2, 17/18191-8)

HOFMANN, K-H; BENSBERG, A.; SCHERTL, D.; WEIGELT, G.; WOLF, S.; MEILLAND, A.; MILLOUR, F.; WATERS, L. B. F. M.; KRAUS, S.; OHNAKA, K.; et al. LTI-MATISSE L- and N-band aperture-synthesis imaging of the unclassified B[e] star FS Canis Majori. Astronomy & Astrophysics, v. 658, FEB 3 2022. (17/18191-8, 19/02029-2)