Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jan 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21725706g&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #257.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Epsilon Aurigae has baffled generations of astrophysicists, and the need to hold a Special Session about this system arises from the depth and persistence of our bafflement. Although the obvious (dominant) star - an early-F supergiant - is partially eclipsed during its 27-year period such that the overall brightness drops by 1 magnitude in V, the spectrum of the system does not change. That fact is what has made epsilon Aurigae traditionally famous. Moreover, the dark object that moves in front must have gigantic proportions. However, it is not actually true to say that the spectrum does not change. It is still recognizeably an early-F supergiant but it changes significantly during eclipse ingress and egress, in ways that provide invaluable information about the mysterious body that was in front throughout 2010 (and still is). Nothing is yet known regarding the properties or constancy of the dark body, and to that end we have sought new information from the long series of spectra in heritage (photographic) archives. The two richest sets of high-dispersion spectra are from the DAO, dating back to 1972, and Mount Wilson, dating back to 1929, offering resolving power of the order of 50,000 and including both blue and red spectral regions. While both sets cover the 1983 eclipse (as do many independent photometric datasets), the Mount Wilson spectra are unique in their rich cover of the 1956 eclipse, and include some of the 1929 event. We have digitized about 300 plates, and are analysing the information by comparing spectra at all orbital phases with new CCD ones as far as possible. The poster will summarize the findings, which will be described in greater detail during the Special Session on epsilon Aurigae on Tuesday January 11.
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