HST Observations of the Chromosphere of a Carbon Star

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

Ultraviolet spectra from the first Hubble Space Telescope observations of a carbon star are presented, as well as line identifications and an initial analysis of the velocity structure of the emitting region. Two spectra of UU Aur (HD 46687, type N3; C5,3) have been obtained. In the lower-resolution FOS spectrum (2310 -- 3275 Angstroms), UV emission lines of Mg I, Mg II, and Fe II, fluoresced lines of Fe I and II, semi-forbidden emission from C II, Si II, and Al II, absorption lines of Fe I and Ti II, and absorption by CH and CaCl have been identified. In the high resolution GHRS spectrum, which covers a 50 Angstroms region around the Mg II h and k emission lines, overlying Mg II and Mn I absorption and two fluoresced Fe I lines have been resolved. The Mg II, and perhaps the Ti II, absorption appears to be interstellar. UV emission lines of predominantly singly ionized metals indicate the existence of a chromosphere at ~ 5000 K. In UU Aur, the Mg II emission clearly arises in material which is flowing away from the star at 35--60 km/s. Shifts of the Fe II emission lines support the conclusion that the chromosphere is expanding at highly supersonic velocities. However, overlying Mn I absorption must be due to stationary material further out. The forbidden and fluoresced lines also come from a region(s) with negligible velocity. These data imply that shocks may form in the atmospheres of carbon stars and thus be a mechanism for chromospheric heating and mass loss. In fact, previous semi-empirical chromospheric models of the carbon star TX Psc (Luttermoser, Johnson, Avrett, and Loeser 1989) indicate a similar shock-like velocity field. Luttermoser, D., Johnson, H. R., Avrett, G., and Loeser, R. 1989, ApJ 345, 543.

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