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Ultraviolet Spectropolarimetry: on the origin of rapidly rotating B stars

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Jones, C. E. ; Labadie-Bartz, J. ; Cotton, D., V ; Naze, Y. ; Peters, G. J. ; Hillier, D. J. ; Neiner, C. ; Richardson, N. D. ; Hoffman, J. L. ; Carciofi, A. C. ; Wisniewski, J. P. ; Gayley, K. G. ; Suffak, M. W. ; Ignace, R. ; Scowen, P. A.
Número total de Autores: 15
Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
Fonte: ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE; v. 367, n. 12, p. 28-pg., 2022-12-01.
Resumo

UV spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry hold the key to understanding certain aspects of massive stars that are largely inaccessible (or exceptionally difficult) with optical or longer wavelength observations. As we demonstrate, this is especially true for the rapidly-rotating Be and Bn stars, owing to their high temperatures, geometric asymmetries, binary properties, evolutionary history, as well as mass ejection and disks (in the case of Be stars). UV spectropolarimetric observations are extremely sensitive to the photospheric consequences of rapid rotation (i.e. oblateness, temperature, and surface gravity gradients), far beyond the reach of optical wavelengths. Our polarized radiative-transfer modelling predicts that with low-resolution UV spectropolarimetry covering 120-300 nm, and with a reasonable SNR, the inclination angle of a rapid rotator can be determined to within 5 degrees, and the rotation rate to within 1%. The origin of rapid rotation in Be/n stars can be explained by either single-star or binary evolution, but their relative importance is largely unknown. Some Be stars have hot sub-luminous (sdO) companions, which at an earlier phase transferred their envelope (and with it mass and angular momentum) to the present-day rapid rotator. Although sdO stars are small and relatively faint, their flux peaks in the UV making this the optimal observational wavelength regime. Through spectral modelling of a wide range of simulated Be/n+sdO configurations, we demonstrate that high-resolution high-signal-to-noise ratio UV spectroscopy can detect an sdO star even when similar to 1,000 times fainter in the UV than its Be/n star companion. This degree of sensitivity is needed to more fully explore the parameter space of Be/n+sdO binaries, which so far has been limited to about a dozen systems with relatively luminous sdO stars. We suggest that a UV spectropolarimetric survey of Be/n stars is the next step forward in understanding this population. Such a dataset would, when combined with population synthesis models, allow for the determination of the relative importance of the possible evolutionary pathways traversed by these stars, which is also crucial for understanding their future evolution and fate. (AU)

Processo FAPESP: 18/04055-8 - Espectroscopia de alta precisão: das primeiras estrelas aos planetas
Beneficiário:Jorge Luis Melendez Moreno
Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
Processo FAPESP: 17/23731-1 - Análise e Modelagem de uma Grande Amostra de Estrelas Be Galácticas
Beneficiário:Jonathan Michael Labadie-Bartz
Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
Processo FAPESP: 19/13354-1 - Discos de decréscimo e outflows em torno de estrelas em rápida rotação
Beneficiário:Alex Cavaliéri Carciofi
Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular