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New perspectives on B star X-ray emission: The high-resolution X-ray spectra of Spica and β Cen. Collaborators on both projects: Nathan Miller Joe Cassinelli β Cen Ton Raassen Emre Tepedelenlioglu Rolf Mewe Spica Ron Reynolds Joe MacFarlane Nate Hall.
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New perspectives on B star X-ray emission: The high-resolution X-ray spectra of Spica and β Cen
Collaborators on both projects: • Nathan Miller • Joe Cassinelli • βCen • Ton Raassen • Emre Tepedelenlioglu • Rolf Mewe • Spica • Ron Reynolds • Joe MacFarlane • Nate Hall
Main Question: Where and how do B stars produce their X-rays? Three approaches: • Line profiles – broadened or not? • Line ratios from He-like ions • Is X-ray flux affected by β Cep-type pulsations
Spica Line Profiles(vs. scaled Capella in red) (Capella Aa (the main X-ray source) had v ≈ +25 km/s during the observation shown here (Ishibashi & Dewey 2005)
Density falloff in Spica’s windCritical Densities Marked:Radiation will control f/i ratio
Interpreting Spica’s f/i ratios(Kurucz model – calc by MacFarlane)
Spica’s H II region (Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM) image) -H II region is relatively isolated-Will use to measure ionizing flux and calibrate photospheric FUV/EUV flux which effects f/i ratios
Spica β-Cep-Type History • Seen as β Cep variable by Shobbrook et al. (1969) with p=0.1738 d (pulsations evident in archived observations) • Photometric variations died out by 1972 (Lomb 1978) • May still be pulsing, but axis of NRP may have processed so that we are observing pole-on (Balona 1985) (precession period 130-140 yrs) (Dukes 1974)
Conclusions: • X-ray emission lines are not strongly Doppler-broadened in either case • He-like ions indicate X-rays formed at a range of radii (at least for Spica) • No evidence is found for either star to be variable in X-rays on their β Cep periods