Doppler Tomography of the Circumstellar Disk of p Aquarii

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Anatoly S. Miroshnichenko, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Aims. The work is aimed at studying the circumstellar disk of the bright classical binary Be star p Aqr. Methods. We analysed variations of a double-peaked profile of the Ha emission line in the spectrum of p Aqr that was observed in many phases during ~40 orbital cycles in 2004-2013. We applied the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) method to search for periodicity in the peak intensity ratio (V/R). Doppler tomography was used to study the structure of the disk around the primary. Results. The dominant frequency in the power spectrum of the Ha V/R ratio is 0.011873 day-1, which corresponds to a period of 84.2(2) days and agrees with the earlier determined orbital period of the system, Porb = 84.1 days. The V/R shows a sinusoidal variation that is phase-locked with the orbital period. Doppler maps of all our spectra show a non-uniform structure of the disk around the primary: a ring with the inner and outer radii at Vin ˜ 450 km?s-1 and Vout ˜ 200 km?s-1, respectively, along with an extended stable region (spot) at Vx ˜ 225 km?s-1 and Vy ˜ 100 km?s-1. The disk radius of ˜65 ? R? = 0.33 AU was estimated by assuming Keplerian motion of a particle on a circular orbit at the disk’s outer edge.

Additional Information

Publication
Astronomy & Astrophysics, vol. 560
Language: English
Date: 2013
Keywords
binaries: spectroscopic, circumstellar matter, stars: emission-line, Be, stars: individual: pi Aquarii, techniques: spectroscopic

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