Polarization structure and variability in the optical spectrum of VY Canis Majoris

Details Polarization structure and variability in the optical spectrum of VY Canis Majoris Polarization structure and variability in the optical spectrum of VY Canis Majoris

Oct 1985

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1985a%26a...151..169a&link_type=abstract

Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 151, no. 1, Oct. 1985, p. 169-173. SERC-supported research.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

5

Polarization Characteristics, Stellar Spectra, Stellar Spectrophotometry, Variable Stars, Charge Coupled Devices, Cosmic Dust, Visible Spectrum, Wavelengths

Scientific paper

New spectropolarimetric observations of VY Canis Majoris are reported. A CCD spectropolarimeter has been used to discover remarkable structure in the wavelength dependence of the optical polarization over the spectral range 4000 A to 8250 A. This structure manifests itself as a rotation of the position angle of polarization (Delta-theta of about 10 deg) and a change in the degree of polarization (Delta-p of about 1 percent) across the strong titanium oxide absorption bands. Also, a variation in the magnitude and orientation of polarization is seen between observations separated by about 2 yr. Using a photospheric 'hotspot' model, the characteristics of the observed polarization structure and possible values of the photospheric scattering efficiency are reproduced, and 'hotspot' areas and temperatures are investigated. Modifications to the hotspot model are discussed and secondary sources of polarization such as asymmetric gas and dust clouds are considered. The contribution of interstellar polarization to the overall polarimetric appearance of the object is shown to be small (less than 1 percent).

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