Other
Scientific paper
Jan 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005phst..119...20k&link_type=abstract
Physica Scripta, Volume T119, pp. 20-25 (2005).
Other
1
Scientific paper
Stars of spectral type A are distinguished from others by the interesting fact that several physical processes are of equal importance in their outer envelope. The competing processes include diffusion driven by either gravitational settling or radiation pressure, thermal convection driven by partial ionisation of hydrogen and/or helium, their interaction with a global stellar magnetic field in some cases, and large rotation rates or pulsational instabilities in others. Whether one of them dominates over the others is also determined by their initial and present environment. Most of the information on the physics of these processes is obtained from spectroscopy of the surface layers of these stars. In spectroscopic studies of A-stars we can either attempt to obtain a better understanding of the physical processes, if our atomic data are good enough, or alternatively, if the stellar physics provides strong enough constraints, we can learn about atomicphysics: wavelengths, oscillator strengths, pressure broadening, and other quantities which characterise electronic transitions in neutral and ionised atoms within the stellar plasma.
Professor Charles R Cowley has made many important contributions to the spectroscopy of A-type stars throughout his research work and he is also very active in this field today. I have enjoyed being able to work with him on this subject on several occasions. In this paper I present an overview as to why the spectroscopy of A-type stars is of interest to both astrophysicists and laboratory spectroscopists, and I will use various opportunities to illustrate the selected topics through contributions made by Professor Cowley to this field.
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