The 5.52 Year Cycle of Eta Carinae

Details The 5.52 Year Cycle of Eta Carinae The 5.52 Year Cycle of Eta Carinae

Mar 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996apj...460l..49d&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal Letters v.460, p.L49

Other

221

Stars: Individual Constellation Name: Eta Carinae, Stars: Variables: Other Luminous Blue Variables, Stars: Emission-Line, Be

Scientific paper

I have discovered spectroscopic variations correlated with the photometric near-infrared (NIR) light curve in eta Carinae. The fading of the high-excitation lines is coincident with the peaks in the NIR light curve, strongly resembling an S Doradus type of variability. The cycle, however, is highly stable, and the 5.52 yr period fits well all the shell episodes reported in the last 50 years. This period also recovers the three historical bursts of the last century, in phase with the present low-amplitude oscillations, which suggests a connection between the S Doradus cycle and the giant bursts. The present data reveal that eta Car is continuously varying in the He I lambda 10830 line by thousands of solar luminosities. The last spectra in this line show that the low-excitation phase is already in progress. A test for the strict periodicity will be the confirmation of the central phase epoch of the next shell event, predicted to occur in 1997 December. A very sensitive mapping technique is also proposed for this occasion, in order to prove Homunculus geometry.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The 5.52 Year Cycle of Eta Carinae does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with The 5.52 Year Cycle of Eta Carinae, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The 5.52 Year Cycle of Eta Carinae will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1645078