arXiv subjects

C. A. Hummel

Publications and source records attributed to C. A. Hummel.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Tests of stellar model atmospheres by optical interferometry III: NPOI and VINCI interferometry of the M0 giant gamma Sge covering 0.5 - 2.2 microns

Aims: We present a comparison of the visual and NIR intensity profile of the M0 giant gamma Sagittae to plane-parallel ATLAS 9 as well as to plane-parallel & spherical PHOENIX model atmospheres. Methods: We use previously described visual interferometric data obtained with the NPOI in July 2000. We apply the recently developed technique of coherent integration, and thereby obtain visibility data of more spectral channels and with higher precision than before. In addition, we employ new measurements of the K-band diameter of gamma Sagittae obtained with the instrument VINCI at the VLTI in 2002. Results: The spherical PHOENIX model leads to a precise definition of the Rosseland angular diameter and a consistent high-precision diameter value for our NPOI and VLTI/VINCI data sets of Theta_Ross=6.06 pm 0.02 mas, with the Hipparcos parallax corresponding to R_Ross=55 pm 4 R_sun, and with the bolometric flux corresponding to an effective temperature T_eff=3805 pm 55 K. Our visual visibility data close to the first minimum and in the second lobe constrain the limb-darkening effect and are generally consistent with the model atmosphere predictions. The visual closure phases exhibit a smooth transition between 0 and pi. Conclusions: The agreement between the NPOI and VINCI diameter values increases the confidence in the model atmosphere predictions from optical to NIR wavelengths as well as in the calibration and accuracy of both interferometric facilities. The consistent night-by-night diameter values of VINCI give additional confidence in the given uncertainties. The closure phases suggest a slight deviation from circular symmetry, which may be due to surface features, an asymmetric extended layer, or a faint unknown companion.

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arXiv2006

Vega is a rapidly rotating star

Vega, the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere, serves as a primary spectral type standard. While its spectrum is dominated by broad hydrogen lines, the narrower lines of the heavy elements suggested slow to moderate rotation, giving confidence that the ground-based calibration of its visibile spectrum could be safely extrapolated into the ultraviolet and near-infrared (through atmosphere models), where it also serves as the primary photometric calibrator. But there have been problems: the star is too bright compared to its peers and it has unusually shaped absorption line profiles, leading some to suggest that it is a distorted, rapidly rotating star seen pole-on. Here we report optical interferometric observations of Vega which detect the asymmetric brightness distribution of the bright, slightly offset polar axis of a star rotating at 93% of breakup speed. In addition to explaining the unusual brightness and line shape pecularities, this result leads to the prediction of an excess of near-infrared emission compared to the visible, in agreement with observations. The large temperature differences predicted across its surface call into question composition determinations, adding uncertainty to Vega's age and opening the possibility that its debris disk could be substantially older than previously thought.

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arXiv2005

Resolving the Effects of Rotation in Altair with Long-Baseline Interferometry

We report successful fitting of a Roche model, with a surface temperature gradient following the von Zeipel gravity darkening law, to observations of Altair made with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer. We confirm the claim by Ohishi, Nordgren, & Hutter that Altair displays an asymmetric intensity distribution due to rotation, the first such detection in an isolated star. Instrumental effects due to the high visible flux of this first magnitude star appear to be the limiting factor in the accuracy of this fit, which nevertheless indicates that Altair is rotating at 0.90+/-0.02 of its breakup (angular) velocity. Our results are consistent with the apparent oblateness found by van Belle et al. and show that the true oblateness is significantly larger owing to an inclination of the rotational axis of ~64 degrees to the line of sight. Of particular interest, we conclude that instead of being substantially evolved as indicated by its classification, A7 VI-V, Altair is only barely off the ZAMS and represents a good example of the difficulties rotation can introduce in the interpretation of this part of the HR diagram.

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arXiv2001

Direct multi-wavelength limb-darkening measurements of three late-type giants with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

We present direct measurements of the limb-darkened intensity profiles of the late-type giant stars HR5299, HR7635, and HR8621 obtained with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) at the Lowell Observatory. A triangle of baselines with lengths of 18.9 m, 22.2 m, and 37.5 m was used. We utilized squared visibility amplitudes beyond the first minimum, as well as triple amplitudes and phases in up to 10 spectral channels covering a wavelength range of ~650 nm to ~850 nm. We find that our data can best be described by featureless symmetric limb-darkened disk models while uniform disk and fully darkened disk models can be rejected. We derive high-precision angular limb-darkened diameters for the three stars of 7.44 mas +/- 0.11 mas, 6.18 mas +/- 0.07 mas, and 6.94 mas +/- 0.12 mas, respectively. Using the HIPPARCOS parallaxes, we determine linear limb-darkened radii of 114 R$_\odot \pm $13 R$_\odot$, 56 R$_\odot \pm $4 R$_\odot$, and 98 R$_\odot \pm $9 R$_\odot$, respectively. We compare our data to a grid of Kurucz stellar model atmospheres, with them derive the effective temperatures and surface gravities without additional information, and find agreement with independent estimates derived from empirical calibrations and bolometric fluxes. This confirms the consistency of model predictions and direct observations of the limb-darkening effect.

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arXiv2000

Astrophysical Quantities of Cepheid Variables Measured with the NPOI

We present mean angular diameters for two cepheid variables, alpha Ursae Minoris and zeta Geminorum, determined with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI). We present linear radii for these cepheids and two additional cepheids, delta Cephei and eta Aquilae, previously observed at the NPOI. We find the limb-darkened angular diameter of alpha Ursae Minoris and of zeta Geminorum to be 3.28 +/- 0.02 and 1.55 +/- 0.09 milliarcseconds respectively. Using trigonometric parallaxes, we find the linear radii of alpha Ursae Minoris, zeta Geminorum, delta Cephei and eta Aquilae to be 46 (+/- 3), 60 (+25, -14), 45 (+8, -6), and 69 (+28, -15) Solar radii respectively. We compare the pulsation periods and linear radii of this sample of cepheids, which range in period from three to 11 days, to theoretical and empirical period-radius and period-radius-mass relations found in the literature. We find that the observed diameter of alpha Ursae Minoris is in excellent agreement with the predicted diameter as determined from both surface brightness techniques and theory only if alpha Ursae Minoris is a first overtone pulsator.

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arXiv2000

Diameters of delta Cephei and eta Aquilae Measured with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

We have measured the diameters of the Cepheid variables delta Cephei (18 nights) and eta Aquilae (11 nights) with the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer. The primary results of these observations are the mean angular diameters of these Cepheids: 1.520 +/- 0.014 milliseconds of arc (mas) for delta Cep and 1.69 +/- 0.04 mas for eta Aql. We also report limb-darkened diameters for the check stars in this program: for beta Lac, theta(LD) = 1.909 +/- 0.011 mas, and for 12 Aql, theta(LD) = 2.418 +/- 0.010 mas. When combined with radius estimates from period-radius relations in the literature, the Cepheid angular diameters suggest distances slightly smaller than, but still consistent with, the Hipparcos distances. Pulsations are weakly detected at a level of about 1.5 sigma to 2 sigma for both Cepheids.

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arXiv1998

VSOP imaging of S5 0836+710: a close-up on plasma instabilities in the jet

The luminous high-redshift (z=2.17) quasar S5 0836+710 has been observed at 5GHz with the VSOP. We compare the properties of three images obtained from the observation: a low-resolution ground array image (dynamic range 4600:1), a full-resolution VSOP image (900:1), and an image made with only the space baselines (200:1). The space baselines alone are sufficient for a reliable recovery of the source structure, within the limits of the achieved spatial sampling of the visibility data. The curved jet ridge line observed in the images can be described by Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities developing in a relativistic outflow with the Mach number of about 6. This description holds on the scales of up to 700h^-1 pc, and is shown to be consistent with variable apparent speeds observed in the jet.

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