Hot Stars Mass-loss studied with Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN)

Details Hot Stars Mass-loss studied with Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN) Hot Stars Mass-loss studied with Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN)

2003-07-23

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0307407v1

Astron.Astrophys.410:375-388,2003

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

15 pages, 21 figures, accepted in A&A

Scientific paper

10.1051/0004-6361:20031186

We present a prospective work undertaken on Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN). Our theoretical studies suggest that SPIN is a powerful tool for studying the mass loss from early type stars. Based on Monte Carlo simulations, we computed the expected SPIN signal for numerous hot star spectral types covering a broad range of geometries and optical depths. The SPIN technique is based on the detection and comparison of the fringe characteristics (complex visibility) between two perpendicular directions of polarization. In particular, we demonstrate that the SPIN technique is very sensitive to the beta parameter from the so-called 'beta velocity law' for optically thin winds. Moreover, the location where the bulk of polarization is generated can be defined accurately. The required sensitivity for studying main sequence OB star winds is still very demanding (inferior to 0.5%), but the signal expected from denser winds or extended atmospheres is well within the capabilities of existing interferometers. The visibility curves obtained in two perpendicular polarizations for LBVs or WR stars can differ by more than 15%, and their corresponding limb-darkened radii obtained by the fit of these curves by more than 35%. The signal expected from the extended circumstellar environment of Be stars and B[e] appears also to be easy to detect, relaxing the required instrumental accuracy to 1%. For these spectral types, the SPIN technique provide a good tool to extract the highly polarized and spatially confined envelope contribution from the bright star emission.

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