First Imaging Survey of Rapid Rotators and Be Stars with Long-Baseline Interferometry

首次利用长基线干涉测量法对快速旋转体和 Be 星进行成像测量

• 批准号: 0707927
• 负责人: John Monnier
• 金额: $ 28.75万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-08-01 至 2012-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0707927&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: First; Imaging; Survey; Rapid; Rotators

This project is motivated by recent results from interferometric optical and infrared telescopes that have begun to resolve the surfaces of rapidly rotating stars. Recent stellar models have demonstrated that the effects of rotation are far from negligible and can influence the lifetimes, surface brightnesses, surface abundances, and evolutionary tracks of rapidly rotating stars. Here, the investigators will take advantage of a new instrument, the Michigan Infrared Combiner (MIRC), which was commissioned last year at the Georgia State University Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy's 6-telescope optical interferometer. With it, they will survey the surfaces of fast rotating stars, directly mapping the latitude-dependence of gravity darkening and testing the von Zeipel-Roche model for such stars. Through detailed modeling of the line profiles, spectral energy distributions, and interferometry visibilities/closure phases, quantitative models of the stellar photospheres' oblateness and gravity darkening laws will be developed. This work will be compared to the recent models to constrain the internal structure and nature of differential rotation in hot stars for the first time. Finally, the continuum emission of Be star disks will also be imaged, which when combined with emission line measurements and the spectral energy distribution, will allow the construction of the most accurate disk models to date. The goal is to determine the temperature structure and density of the disks and to link these properties back to the formation mechanism.The work here will form the Ph.D. thesis of a graduate student who will be trained in the use of forefront astronomical instrumentation. The general purpose analysis tools and imaging algorithms will be made publicly available for use by other researchers. An education and public outreach program will also be undertaken which will center around infrared imaging technology, including a series of traveling exhibits organized through the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum.

该项目是由干涉光学和红外望远镜的最新结果激励的，这些望远镜已经开始解决快速旋转恒星的表面。最近的恒星模型表明，旋转的影响远非可忽略不计，可以影响快速旋转恒星的寿命，表面亮度，表面丰度和进化轨道。在这里，调查人员将利用一种新工具，即密歇根州红外联合制剂（MIRC），该工具于去年在佐治亚州立大学高角度分辨率天文学的6泰式距离光学干涉仪中委托。有了它，他们将调查快速旋转恒星的表面，直接绘制重力变暗的纬度依赖性，并测试了此类恒星的von Zeipel-Roche模型。通过详细的模拟线轮廓，光谱能量分布和干涉仪可见性/闭合阶段，将开发出恒星光谱的定量模型。这项工作将与最近的模型进行比较，以首次限制热星的内部结构和性质。最后，还将成像Be Star磁盘的连续发射，当与发射线测量和光谱能分布结合使用时，它将允许迄今为止构建最准确的磁盘模型。目的是确定磁盘的温度结构和密度，并将这些特性链接回编队机制。这里的工作将形成博士学位。一位研究生的论文将接受培训，以使用前沿天文仪器。通用分析工具和成像算法将被其他研究人员公开使用。还将进行一项教育和公共外展计划，该计划将围绕红外成像技术，包括通过安阿伯动手博物馆组织的一系列旅行展览。