Dichroic circular polarization analyzer for the Main Stellar Spectrograph of the 6-m telescope

We describe a dichroic circular polarization analyzer with a double image slicer providing seven slices for each polarization developed for the Main Stellar Spectrograph of the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The analyzer is designed for measuring stellar magnetic fields using the Zeeman effect and represents an upgraded version compared to earlier used polarization analyzers. We report the parameters of the analyzer and estimate the accuracy of measurements performed with it.     

Eight new magnetic stars with large continuum depressions

Observations with the 6-m telescope revealed eight new magnetic, chemically peculiar stars: HD 29925, HD 40711, HD 115606, HD 168796, HD 178892, HD 196691, HD 209051, and BD+32°2827. Zeeman observations of all these objects have been carried out for the first time. We selected candidates by analyzing the depression profile at a wavelength of λ5200 Å. This technique for selecting candidate magnetic stars was shown to be efficient: we found magnetic fields in 14 of the 15 objects that we selected for our observations with a Zeeman analyzer. A maximum longitudinal field strength B _e exceeding 8 kG was found in HD 178892; in HD 209051 and HD196691, B _e reaches 3.3 and 2.2 kG, respectively. For the remaining stars, we obtained lower limits of the longitudinal field (more than several hundred G).     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

Phase retardation originating in a telescope is measured by means of polarizer and analyzer. The amount of this retardation depends only on the declination of the telescope. The retardation axes rotate with the Coudé image.The influence of this retardation on a Zeeman triplet, is measured photoelectrically. Consequences for solar polarimetry are discussed: Strong effects originate from the miscentering of the asymmetric Zeeman triplet introduced by the Doppler compensator. This yields a non-vanishing V-Stokes parameter in the central exit slit and thus the often observed crosstalk between the U and V-Stokes parameters.     

Magnetic field measurements of CP stars from hydrogen line cores

We present the results of measurements of magnetic fields of chemically peculiar (CP) stars, performed from the shifts between the circularly polarized components of metal and hydrogen lines (the Babcock method). The observations are carried out with an analyzer of circular polarization at the 6‐m telescope of the SAO RAS. We found that for the absolute majority of the objects studied (in 22 CP stars out of 23), the magnetic fields, determined from the Zeeman shifts in the hydrogen line cores, are significantly lower than those obtained from metal lines in the same spectra. This disparity varies between the stars. We show that instrumental effects can not produce the above features, and discuss the possible causes of the observed effect. The discovered condition reveals a more complicated structure of magnetic fields of CP stars than a simple dipole, in particular, a reduction of the field strength in the upper atmosphere with the vertical gradient, significantly higher than the dipole (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Results of magnetic field measurements performed with the 6-m telescope. IV. Observations in 2010

We present the results of measurements of magnetic fields, radial velocities and rotation velocities for 92 objects, mainly main-sequence chemically peculiar stars. Observations were performed at the 6-m BTA telescope using Main Stellar Spectrograph with a Zeeman analyzer. In 2010, twelve new magnetic stars were discovered: HD 17330, HD 29762, HD 49884, HD 54824, HD 89069, HD 96003, HD 113894, HD 118054, HD 135679, HD 138633, HD 138777, BD +53.1183. The presence of a field is suspected in HD 16705, HD 35379 and HD 35881. Observations of standard stars without a magnetic field confirm the absence of systematic errors which can introduce distortions into the measurements of longitudinal field. The paper gives comments on the results of investigation of each star.     

Doppler-Zeeman mapping of the rapidly rotating magnetic CP star HD 37776

We present the results of our analysis of magnetic-field configuration and abundance anomalies on the surface of the rapidly rotating, chemically peculiar helium-strong variable B2 V star HD 37776 with unresolved Zeeman components of spectral lines. Simultaneous inversion of the observed Stokes I and V profiles, which realizes the method of Doppler-Zeeman mapping [1], has been applied for the first time. Spectroscopic observations were carried out with the Main stellar spectrograph of the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope equipped with a Zeeman analyzer and a CCD array, which allowed spectra in right-and left-hand circularly polarized light to be taken simultaneously at a signal-to-noise ratio S/N≥200 [2]. The profile width of winged spectral lines (reaching 5 Å) is determined by Zeeman line splitting; however, the observed Zeeman components are blurred and unresolved because of the rapid stellar rotation. When solving the inverse problem, we sought for the magnetic-field configuration in the form of a combination of arbitrarily oriented dipole, quadrupole, and octupole placed at the stellar center. The observed Stokes I and V profiles for eight spectral lines of He, O II, Al III, Si III, and Fe III averaged over the visible stellar surface were used as input data. We constructed a model of the magnetic field from the condition of coincidence of magnetic maps obtained from different lines of different chemical elements and from the condition of a minimum profile residual. This model is a combination of centered coaxial dipole and quadrupole with the dominant quadrupole component at 30°<i<50°, β=40°, and a maximum surface field strength H _s=60 kG. A comparison of our abundance maps with the field configuration shows that the He concentration is at a maximum in the regions of maximum radial field, while the maximum concentrations of O, Al, Si, and Fe coincide with the regions of maximum tangential field.     

HD 45583—a chemically peculiar star with an unusual curve of longitudinal magnetic field variations

The results of a complex study of the chemically peculiar star HD 45583 are reported. Observations were made using the Main Stellar Spectrograph equipped with a circular polarization analyzer and NES echelle spectrograph of the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Our measurements of Zeeman spectra show that the star exhibits unusual variations of the longitudinal component of magnetic field with a secondary minimum. The period of spectral and magnetic variability coincides with the rotation period, which is equal to 1.^d177000. Two possible causes of the secondary minimum are discussed: spots with higher than ambient content of some chemical elements on the star’s surface or complex structure of the stellar magnetic field. The parameters of the star’s atmosphere are determined (T _eff = 13000 K, log g = 4.0), as well as the abundances of some elements: the star shows a 1–2 dex overabundance of Fe, Si, and Cr, helium is underabundant by about 2 dex with respect to the Sun.     

Magnetic field of the star θ<Superscript>1</Superscript> Ori C

A longitudinal magnetic field is measured for the star è¹ Ori C at eight points in its period using the C IV 5801 and 5812 Å absorption lines. The maximum value was +231±47 G. The measurements were made with the Main Stellar Spectrograph on the BTA telescope using a circular polarization analyzer with an image slicer and in the back-and-forth mode. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 107–111 (February 2007).     

Evidence for a 2-h optical modulation in GS 1826 – 24

OH maser emission from the circumstellar envelope of the M-type supergiant VX Sagittarii has been mapped at 1612 MHz in both hands of circular polarization using MERLIN, with an angular resolution of 0.4 arcsec and a velocity resolution of 0.3 km s⁻¹. Four likely Zeeman pairs of maser components are identified, each with a similar Zeeman splitting. The inferred magnetic field strength is approximately −1 mG in each case, with the field directed towards us. The Zeeman components lie ∼ 1400 au from the star. The data lend support to the dipole magnetic field model which has recently been suggested for this circumstellar envelope.     

Magnetic field measurements of ϵ Eridani from Zeeman broadening

We present new magnetic field measurements of the K2 main‐sequence star ϵ Eri based on principal components analysis (PCA) line‐profile reconstructions. The aim of this paper is to quantify the surface‐averaged magnetic field and search for possible variations. A total of 338 optical échelle spectra from our robotic telescope facility STELLA with a spectral resolution of 55 000 were available for analysis. This time‐series was used to search for the small line‐profile variations due to a surface magnetic field with the help of a PCA. Evidence for a spatial and temporal inhomogeneous magnetic field distribution is presented. The mean, surface averaged, magnetic field strength was found tobe 〈B〉 = 186 ± 47 G in good agreement with previous Zeeman‐broadening measurements. Clear short‐term variations of the surface averaged magnetic field of up to few tens Gauss were detected together with evidence for a three‐year cycle in the surface‐averaged magnetic field of ϵ Eri. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The GREGOR polarimetric calibration unit

The new Solar telescope GREGOR is designed to observe small‐scale dynamic magnetic structures below a size of 70 km on the Sun with high spectral resolution and polarimetric accuracy. For this purpose, the polarimetric concept of GREGOR is based on a combination of post‐focus polarimeters with pre‐focus equipment for high precision calibration. The Leibniz‐Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam developed the GREGOR calibration unit which is an integral part of the telescope. We give an overview of the function and design of the calibration unit and present the results of extensive testing series done in the Solar Observatory “Einsteinturm” and at GREGOR (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Search for magnetic field oscillations in a sunspot umbra

In order to search for oscillations in velocity and magnetic field strength within a sunspot umbra, a time series of spectra has been obtained through a circular analyzer and the Gregory-Coudé telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife. The velocity oscillations clearly show peaks of power at periods between 2 and 7 minutes, with a maximum at 5 minutes. The apparent variations of the magnetic field strength, however, don't exhibit significant oscillations; these fluctuations are rather produced by the influence of parasitic stray light from the surrouding quiet sun which are also visible in the measured time variations of the umbral contrast of continuum intensity.     

Aspects of the zero level problem of solar magnetographs

The zero level problem of solar magnetographs is particularly important for observations of large-scale magnetic fields on the Sun. Experiments conducted at the STOP telescope of the Sayan observatory show that, in addition to adjustment errors of the polarization analyzer and the spectrograph focusing, spurious signals of the magnetograph are caused by polarization effects in optical components preceding the polarization analyzer and aberration errors of the spectrograph.     

Results of Magnetic-Field Measurements with the 6-m Telescope. V. Observations in 2011

The paper presents results of measurements of magnetic-field longitudinal components B _e , radial velocities V _r , and projections of the rotation velocity in the line of sight v _e sin i for 74 objects, mainly main-sequence chemically peculiar stars and standard stars. Observations were carried out in 2011 at the 6-m BTA telescope using the Main Stellar Spectrograph (MSS) with a Zeeman analyzer. Seven new magnetic stars were discovered: HD38129, HD47152, HD50341, HD63347, HD188501, HD191287, and HD260858. Three more stars were suspected to have magnetic fields. Observations of magnetic standard stars and non-magnetic stars confirm the absence of any systematic errors capable of introducing distortions into the B _e longitudinal-field measurement results. The paper gives comments on the research results for each of the 74 stars.     

Investigation of OH and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O masers in the star-forming region G 188.946+0.886

We present the results of our observations of the maser radio emission source G188.946+0.886 in hydroxyl (OH) molecular lines with the radio telescope of the Nançay Observatory (France) and in the H₂O line at λ = 1.35 cm with the RT-22 radio telescope at the Pushchino Observatory (Russia). An emission feature in the 1720-MHz satellite line of the OH ground state has been detected for the first time. The radial velocity of the feature, V _LSR = 3.6 km s^?1, has a “blue” shift relative to the range of emission velocities in the main 1665- and 1667-MHz OH lines, which is 8–11 km s^?1. This suggests a probable connection of the observed feature in the 1720-MHz line with the “blue” wing of the bipolar outflow observed in this region in the CO line. We have estimated the magnetic field strength for three features (0.90 and 0.8 mG for 1665 MHz and 0.25 mG for 1720 MHz) from the Zeeman splitting in the 1665- and 1720-MHz lines. No emission and (or) absorption has been detected in the other 1612-MHz satellite OH line. Three cycles of H₂O maser activity have been revealed. The variability is quasi-periodic in pattern. There is a general tendency for the maser activity to decrease. Some clusters of H2O maser spots can form organized structures, for example, chains and other forms.     

Charge accumulation and cyclic image transfer on CCD: Search for rapid variations of magnetic field in γ Equ

We search for the variable component of themagnetic field in γ Equ by studying four Nd III lines with the Main Stellar Spectrograph of the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory via accumulation and cyclic transfer of the electronic image of the Zeeman spectrum on the CCD. The single exposure time was set equal to 1/8 of the spectral variability period. We detected no variable component in the magnetic field of γ Equ with a period of 12.1 min in the November 5/6, 2003 observations.     

Magnetic fields of sunspots based on combined optical and radio observations

In the present paper we present the results of measurement of magnetic fields in some sunspots at different heights in the solar atmosphere, based on simultaneous optical and radio measurements. The optical measurements were made by traditional photographic spectral observations of Zeeman splitting in a number of spectral lines originating at different heights in the solar photosphere and chromosphere. Radio observations of the spectra and polarization of the sunspot - associated sources were made in the wavelength range of 2–4 cm using large reflector-type radio telescope RATAN-600. The magnetic field penetrating the hot regions of the solar atmosphere were found from the shortest wavelength of generation of thermal cyclotron emission (presumably in the third harmonic of electron gyrofrequency). For all the eight cases under consideration we have found that magnetic field first drops with height, increases from the photosphere to lower chromosphere, and then decreases again as we proceed to higher chromosphere and chromosphere-corona transition region. Radio measurements were found to be well correlated with optical measurements of magnetic fields for the same sunspot. An alternative interpretation implies that different lines used for magnetic field measurements refer to different locations on the solar surface. If this is the case, then the inversion in vertical gradients of magnetic fields may not exist above the sunspots. Possible sources of systematic and random errors are also discussed.     

多条太阳光球FeI线在磁场中形成及形成深度的综合分析(Ⅰ)

针对多通道滤光器太阳磁场望远镜的磁场观测定标及掌握(所采用的)谱线特征之需要,取VAL宁静太阳大气模型计算了7条Fel光球线的Stokes轮廓、形成深度、贡献函数分布,从而较为系统地对多条反常及正常Zeeman线的特征及性质作出了分析与总结,解释了在磁光效应影响下Stokes Q,U参量的形成深度曲线在近线心区域处出现陡峭峰值的原因。     

A new calibration model for pointing a radio telescope that considers nonlinear errors in the azimuth axis

A new calibration model of a radio telescope that includes pointing error is presented, which considers nonlinear errors in the azimuth axis. For a large radio telescope, in particular for a telescope with a turntable, it is difficult to correct pointing errors using a traditional linear calibration model, because errors produced by the wheel-on-rail or center bearing structures are generally nonlinear. Fourier expansion is made for the oblique error and parameters describing the inclination direction along the azimuth axis based on the linear calibration model, and a new calibration model for pointing is derived. The new pointing model is applied to the 40 m radio telescope administered by Yunnan Observatories, which is a telescope that uses a turntable. The results show that this model can significantly reduce the residual systematic errors due to nonlinearity in the azimuth axis compared with the linear model.