Long-term magnetic field stability of Vega

arXiv (Cornell University), 2022

Magnetic fields are important for stellar photospheres and magnetospheres, influencing photospheric physics and sculpting stellar winds. Observations of stellar magnetic fields are typically made in the visible, although infrared observations are becoming common. Here we consider the possibility of directly detecting magnetic fields at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths using high resolution spectropolarimetry, specifically considering the capabilities of the proposed Polstar mission. UV observations are particularly advantageous for studying wind resonance lines not available in the visible, but they can also provide many photospheric lines in hot stars. Detecting photospheric magnetic fields using the Zeeman effect and Least Squares Deconvolution is potentially more effective in the UV due to the much higher density of strong lines. We investigate detecting magnetic fields in the magnetosphere of a star using the Zeeman effect in wind lines, and find that this could be detectable at high S/N in an O or B star with a strong magnetic field. We consider detecting magnetic fields using the Hanle effect in linear polarization, which is complementary to the Zeeman effect, and could be more sensitive in photospheric lines of rapid rotators. The Hanle effect can also be used to infer circumstellar magnetism in winds. Detecting the Hanle effect requires UV observations, and a multi-line approach is key for inferring magnetic field properties. This demonstrates that high resolution spectropolarimetry in the UV, and the proposed Polstar mission, has the potential to greatly expand our ability to detect and characterize magnetic fields in and around hot stars.

A sample of 19 solar-type stars, probing masses between 0.6 and 1.4 solar mass and rotation periods between 3.4 and 43 days, was regularly observed using the NARVAL spectropolarimeter at Telescope Bernard Lyot (Pic du Midi, France) between 2007 and 2011. The Zeeman-Doppler Imaging technique is employed to reconstruct the large-scale photospheric magnetic field structure of the targets and investigate its long-term temporal evolution. We present here the first results of this project with the observation of short magnetic cycles in several stars, showing up a succession of polarity reversals over the timespan of our monitoring. Preliminary trends suggest that short cycles are more frequent for stellar periods below a dozen days and for stellar masses above about one solar mass. The cycles lengths unveiled by the direct tracking of polarity switches are significantly shorter than those derived from previous studies based on chromospheric activity monitoring, suggesting the coexistence of several magnetic timescales in a same star.

Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2012

Aims. We aim at investigating the long-term temporal evolution of the magnetic field of the solar-type star ξ Bootis A, both from direct magnetic field measurements and from the simultaneous estimate of indirect activity indicators. Methods. We use 7 time-series of high-resolution, circularly-polarized spectra obtained with the NARVAL spectropolarimeter between 2007 and 2011, for a total of 76 spectra. Using about 6,100 photospheric spectral lines covering the visible domain, we employ a cross-correlation procedure to compute, from each spectrum, a mean polarized line profile. We model the large-scale photospheric magnetic field of the star by means of Zeeman-Doppler Imaging and follow the year-to-year evolution of the reconstructed magnetic topology. Simultaneously, we monitor the width of several magnetically-sensitive spectral lines, the radial velocity and line asymmetry of intensity line profiles and the chromospheric emission in the cores of the Ca II H and Hα lines. Results. During the highest observed activity states, in 2007 and 2011, the large-scale field is almost axisymmetric and is strongly dominated by its toroidal component. This component persists with a constant polarity and carrying a significant fraction of the magnetic energy of the large-scale surface field at all observing epochs. The magnetic topologies reconstructed for these activity maxima are very similar, suggesting a form of short cyclicity in the large-scale field distribution. The mean unsigned large-scale magnetic flux derived from the magnetic maps varies by a factor of about 2 between the lowest and highest observed magnetic states. The chromospheric flux is less affected and varies by a factor of 1.2. Correlated temporal evolutions, due to both rotational modulation and seasonal variability, are observed between the Ca II emission, the Hα emission and the width of magnetically-sensitive lines. Whenever available, differential rotation measurements reveal a strong latitudinal shear in excess of 0.2 rad d −1 .

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2004

Ultra-high signal-to-noise, high dispersion spectroscopy over the wavelength range λ4487 − 4553 shows Vega to be a rapidly rotating star (Veq ∼ 160 km s −1 ) seen almost pole-on. These data, analyzed anew, are combined with analyses of the hydrogen lines (Hγ, Hβ and Hα) and the latest absolute continuum flux for Vega to yield the following results: V sin i = 21.9 ± 0.1 km s −1 , polar T eff = 9680 ± 10 K, polar log g = 4.00 ± 0.02 dex, Veq = 160 ± 10 km s −1 , ξT = 1.08 ± 0.02 km s −1 and i = 7.9 ± 0.5 • . The variations in T eff and log g over the photosphere total 350 K and 0.06 dex, respectively. The mean T eff = 9510 ± 10 K and mean log g = 3.97 ± 0.02 dex agree with the spherical model values derived here and by others.

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 2011

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2006

We present spectropolarimetric observations of the young, single early G-dwarf HD 171488. These observations were obtained over a five-night period in 2004 September at the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope using the SEMPOL spectropolarimeter visitor instrument. Using the technique of least-squares deconvolution to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the data, we have applied Zeeman Doppler imaging to reconstruct brightness and magnetic surface topologies of the star. The brightness image shows a large polar spot with weaker low-to mid-latitude features, confirming an earlier Doppler imaging observation. The reconstruction of the surface magnetic field shows regions of radial field at all latitudes (except near the pole) and regions of azimuthal field predominantly at high latitudes (60 • -70 • ), with the azimuthal field almost forming a ring around the polar regions.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2015

We report magnetic and spectroscopic observations and modelling of the Of?p star CPD −28 • 2561. Using more than 75 new spectra, we have measured the equivalent width variations and examined the dynamic spectra of photospheric and wind-sensitive spectral lines. A period search results in an unambiguous 73.41 d variability period. High-resolution spectropolarimetric data analysed using least-squares deconvolution yield a Zeeman signature detected in the mean Stokes V profile corresponding to phase 0.5 of the spectral ephemeris. Interpreting the 73.41 d period as the stellar rotational period, we have phased the equivalent widths and inferred longitudinal field measurements. The phased magnetic data exhibit a weak sinusoidal variation, with maximum of about 565 G at phase 0.5, and a minimum of about −335 G at phase 0.0, with extrema approximately in phase with the (double-wave) Hα equivalent width variation. Modelling of the Hα equivalent width variation assuming a quasi-3D magnetospheric model produces a unique solution for the ambiguous couplet of inclination and magnetic obliquity angles: (i, β) or (β, i) = (35 • , 90 •). Adopting either geometry, the longitudinal field variation yields a dipole polar intensity B d = 2.6 ± 0.9 kG, consistent with that obtained from direct modelling of the Stokes V profiles. We derive a wind magnetic confinement parameter η * 100, leading to an Alfvén radius R A 3-5R * , and a Kepler radius R K 20R *. This supports a physical scenario in which the Hα emission and other line variability have their origin in an oblique, corotating 'dynamical magnetosphere' structure resulting from a magnetically channelled wind. Nevertheless, the details of the formation of spectral lines and their variability within this framework remain generally poorly understood.

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2012

We review some of the currently used techniques to detect stellar magnetic fields on cool stars. Emphasis is put on spectropolarimetry with high-resolution spectrographs and its related data de-noising techniques and multi-line inverse modeling. Detections and results from Zeeman splittings and broadenings are briefly mentioned. We discuss some of our most recent Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI) results and present a comparison of ZDI maps of the K-type WTTS V410 Tauri and the planet-hosting F8 star HD 179949 with results from other groups.

2016

The magnetic fields, activity and dynamos of young solar-type stars can be empirically studied using time-series of spectropolarimetric observations and tomographic imaging techniques such as Doppler imaging and Zeeman Doppler imaging. In this paper we use these techniques to study the young Sun-like star EK Draconis (Sp-Type: G1.5V, HD 129333) using ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and NARVAL at the T\`elescope Bernard Lyot. This multi-epoch study runs from late 2006 until early 2012. We measure high levels of chromospheric activity indicating an active, and varying, chromosphere. Surface brightness features were constructed for all available epochs. The 2006/7 and 2008 data show large spot features appearing at intermediate-latitudes. However, the 2012 data indicate a distinctive polar spot. We observe a strong, almost unipolar, azimuthal field during all epochs that is similar to that observed on other Sun-like stars. Using magnetic features, we determined an averag...

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 1996

Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI) is a recent technique for measuring magnetic fields on rapidly rotating, active stars. ZDI employs spectropolarimetry taken at different rotational phases to derive information on the magnetic field distribution over the stellar surface. The Zeeman effect is used to identify the presence of a magnetic field, and variations in Doppler wavelength shifts across the rapidly rotating star allow fields to be resolved on different parts of the visible disk. Analysis of the spectra can be used to produce both thermal and surface magnetic images. ZDI requires very high S/N spectra to be acquired within a time interval short compared to the stellar rotation period. As a result, a large-aperture telescope is needed. Since an initial successful test in 1989, the 3 • 9 m Anglo-Australian Telescope has been used to obtain ZDI spectra of active stars of different evolutionary stages. The observations have concentrated on the K subgiant in the RSCVn system HR1099 to monitor changes on this bright and active star. With the advent in 1991 of ZDI spectropolarimetry with the AAT echelle spectrograph, it has become possible to co-add the polarisation signature from the many magnetically sensitive lines recorded simultaneously. As a result, stellar magnetic field detections of unprecedented quality have been obtained. The aims of this paper are to briefly outline the principles of ZDI, describe the instrumental setup at the AAT and present some preliminary results from recent observations.