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.     

Magnetic field of CP stars in the Ori OB1 association. II. HD36540, HD36668, HD36916, HD37058

We present the results of magnetic field measurements of four chemically peculiar (CP) stars with helium abundance anomalies which are the members of the Orion stellar association OB1. The stars under study were classified as magnetic by other authors earlier. The present paper contains the results of the extensive study of the stars. Magnetic field measurements allowed us to conclude that HD36540 has a weak field and the longitudinal component B _e does not exceed 500 G. The longitudinal field of HD36668 varies with the period P = 2_. ^d 11884 and the amplitude from ?2 to +2 kG. The magnetic field of HD36916 has mainly negative polarity and varies within the range from 0 to ?1 kG with the period P = 1.d 565238. HD37058 is a magnetic star, the longitudinal field of which varies from ?1.2 to +0.8 kG with the period P = 14_. ^d 659. The B _e field variability pattern for the stars HD36916 and HD37058 is of a simple harmonic type. The longitudinal field of HD36668 is best described with two combined harmonic functions (“a doublewave”). The variability period of HD36540 is still undetermined. For all the stars from this paper, we measured radial velocities V _r, axial rotation rates v _e sin i, and determined basic parameters of atmospheres (effective temperatures T _eff and gravity acceleration log g). We also estimated masses M, luminosities L, and radii R of the stars.     

The exceptional Herbig Ae star HD 101412: The first detection of resolved magnetically split lines and the presence of chemical spots in a Herbig star

In our previous search for magnetic fields in Herbig Ae stars, we pointed out that HD 101412 possesses the strongest magnetic field among the Herbig Ae stars and hence is of special interest for follow‐up studies of magnetism among young pre‐main‐sequence stars. We obtained high‐resolution, high signal‐to‐noise UVES and a few lower quality HARPS spectra revealing the presence of resolved magnetically split lines. HD 101412 is the first Herbig Ae star for which the rotational Doppler effect was found to be small in comparison to the magnetic splitting and several spectral lines observed in unpolarized light at high dispersion are resolved into magnetically split components. The measured mean magnetic field modulus varies from 2.5 to 3.5kG, while the mean quadratic field was found to vary in the range of 3.5 to 4.8 kG. To determine the period of variations, we used radial velocity, equivalent width, line width, and line asymmetry measurements of variable spectral lines of several elements, as well as magnetic field measurements. The period determination was done using the Lomb‐Scargle method. The most pronounced variability was detected for spectral lines of He I and the iron peak elements, whereas the spectral lines of CNO elements are only slightly variable. From spectral variations and magnetic field measurements we derived a potential rotation period P_rot = 13.86 d, which has to be proven in future studies with a larger number of observations. It is the first time that the presence of element spots is detected on the surface of a Herbig Ae/Be star. Our previous study of Herbig Ae stars revealed a trend towards stronger magnetic fields for younger Herbig Ae stars, confirmed by statistical tests. This is in contrast to a few other (non‐statistical) studies claiming that magnetic Herbig Ae stars are progenitors of the magnetic Ap stars. New developments in MHD theory show that the measured magnetic field strengths are compatible with a current‐driven instability of toroidal fields generated by differential rotation in the stellar interior. This explanation for magnetic intermediate‐mass stars could be an alternative to a frozen‐in fossil field (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Chemical spots on the surface of the strongly magnetic Herbig Ae star HD 101412

Due to the knowledge of the rotation period and the presence of a rather strong surface magnetic field, the sharp‐lined young Herbig Ae star HD 101412 with a rotation period of 42 d has become one of the most well‐studied targets among the Herbig Ae stars. High‐resolution HARPS polarimetric spectra of HD 101412 were recently obtained on seven different epochs. Our study of the spectral variability over the part of the rotation cycle covered by HARPS observations reveals that the line profiles of the elements Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Sr are clearly variable while He exhibits variability that is opposite to the behaviour of the other elements studied. Since classical Ap stars usually show a relationship between the magnetic field geometry and the distribution of element spots, we used in our magnetic field measurements different line samples belonging to the three elements with the most numerous spectral lines, Ti, Cr, and Fe. Over the time interval covered by the available spectra, the longitudinal magnetic field changes sign from negative to positive polarity. The distribution of field values obtained using Ti, Cr, and Fe lines is, however, completely different compared to the magnetic field values determined in previous low‐resolution FORS 2 measurements, where hydrogen Balmer lines are the main contributors to the magnetic field measurements, indicating the presence of concentration of the studied iron‐peak elements in the region of the magnetic equator. Further, we discuss the potential role of contamination by the surrounding warm circumstellar matter in the appearance of Zeeman features obtained using Ti lines. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Chemical composition of the He-w stars HD 37058, 212454, and 224926

Our spectrophotometric analysis of the atmospheres of HD 37058, HD 212454, and HD 224926 shows these objects to be typical He-w stars with close-to-zero microturbulence velocities, very different magnetic fields, and wide scatter of chemical anomalies. However, one of the main manifestations of separation is that helium moves from the outer layers of the atmosphere into the star’s interior.Our analysis of the stars HD 212454 and 224926 with Be<100 G shows that despite their weak magnetic fields they have the same degree of chemical anomaly as highly magnetized stars. Chemical composition varies over a wide range for stars with the same magnitude of magnetic field. We find the conditions in the temperature interval 13000–16000 K to be the most favorable for the formation of He-w type stars. Helium underabundance is the strongest near the maximum of the distribution and it is observed in stars with weak as well as strong fields. Because of the scatter mentioned above the degree of chemical anomalies is not strictly related to the magnitude of the magnetic field, although the field has an appreciable effect on the formation of chemical inhomogeneities at the star’s surface. Its influence is minimal in stars with very weak magnetic fields and the presence of strong chemical anomalies indicates that microturbulence in these stars is sufficiently weak even without the effect of the magnetic field. It is plausible to assume that the anomalies arise due to slow rotation.The temperature dependences of rotation velocity vsini for stars with weak magnetic fields show no apparent trends associated with the magnitude of magnetic field. The rotation velocities vsini of almost all stars are lower than those of normal stars, except for HD 131120, 142096, 142990, and 143669, which rotate with the same velocity or even faster than normal stars. These objects do not obey the general rule and their example shows that stable atmospheres can also be found among fast rotators and that magnetic field takes no part in the spin-down of CP stars. We believe that CP stars inherited their slow rotation from protostellar clouds.     

Comprehensive study of the magnetic stars HD 5797 and HD 40711 with large chromium and iron overabundances

We present the results of a comprehensive study of the chemically peculiar stars HD 5797 and HD 40711. The stars have the same effective^temperature, T _eff = 8900 K, and a similar chemical composition with large iron (+1.5 dex) and chromium (+3 dex) overabundances compared to the Sun. The overabundance of rare-earth elements typically reaches +3 dex. We have measured the magnetic field of HD 5797. The longitudinal field component B _e has been found to vary sinusoidally between −100 and +1000 G with a period of 69 days. Our estimate of the evolutionary status of the stars suggests that HD 5797 and HD 40711, old objects with an age t ≈ 5 × 10⁸ yr, are near the end of the core hydrogen burning phase.     

HD 12098 and other results from Nainital-Cape Survey

Nainital-Cape Survey was started with an aim to search for new rapidly oscillating Ap stars in the northern hemisphere. We discovered one new mono-periodic roAp star HD 12098. The frequency separation of HD 12098 suggests a rotation period of 5.5 days for the star. We summarize here the observations of HD 12098 and briefly discuss the results of the multi-site observation campaign organized to resolve the ambiguity in the determination of the rotation period of HD 12098. Other interesting results like non-oscillating Ap stars discovered and two candidate stars in which roAp periodicity is seen but not confirmed are also discussed.     

Spectroscopic study of the weak magnetic star HD220825-κPsc

The star HD220825 is studied as part of a program to investigate the chemical abundance of CP stars with weak magnetic fields. Its magnetic field is found to be Be < 100 G. The chemical abundance appears to correspond to that of CP stars with high magnetic fields. The present results and other data imply that the magnetic field has little effect on the degree of anomaly in the chemical abundance, although it undoubtedly has an effect. The rotation speed of the star is 37.5 km/s, substantially lower than for normal stars with the same temperature. The weak magnetic field raises difficulties for the hypothesis that the loss of angular momentum involves the magnetic field. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 585–594 (November 2006).     

Chemical composition and stratification of chemical elements in the atmosphere of the Ap star HD 8441

We present the results of our abundance analysis for the atmosphere of the chemically peculiar Ap star HD 8441. HD 8441 is interesting in that the lines of rare-earth elements in its spectrum are weak and the longitudinal magnetic field component is small, being only several hundred gauss. Our estimates of the evolutionary status for HD 8441 have confirmed that it belongs to the group of Ap stars with weak lines of rare-earth elements in their spectra that leave the main sequence. A stratification analysis of the atmosphere of HD 8441 assuming a stepwise distribution of elements with depth reveals a nonuniform distribution of Si, Ca, Cr,Mn, and Fe with a significant increase in elemental abundances in deeper layers. The derived distribution qualitatively agrees with predictions of the theory of diffusive separation of elements under the action of radiation pressure forces and gravity. Comparison of the chemical composition and evolutionary status of HD 8441 with those of the stars HD 66318 and HD 144897 with strong magnetic fields shows that their atmospheres differ mainly by the abundances of rare-earth elements. The iron-peak elements exhibit large overabundances irrespective of the magnetic field strength.     

Measurements of mean longitudinal magnetic fields in the Of?p stars HD 108 and HD 191612

Using polarimetric spectra obtained with the SOFIN spectrograph installed at the Nordic Optical Telescope, we detect a longitudinal magnetic field 〈B_z〉 = –168±35 G in the Of?p star HD 108. This result is in agreement with the longitudinal magnetic field measurement of the order of –150 G recently reported by the MiMeS team. The measurement of the longitudinal magnetic field in the Of?p star HD 191612 results in 〈B_z〉 = +450±153 G. The only previously published magnetic field measurement for this star showed a negative longitudinal magnetic field 〈B_z〉 = –220±38 G, indicating a change of polarity over ∼100 days. Further, we report the detection of distinct Zeeman features in the narrow Ca II and Na I doublet lines for both Of?p stars, hinting at the possible presence of material around these stars. The origin of these features is not yet clear and more work is needed to investigate how magnetic fields interact with stellar wind dynamics (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magnetic field models of CP stars HD18296, HD19832, HD22470, HD24712

We model the magnetic fields of four magnetic stars using published longitudinal (Be) field measurements. The structure of the magnetic field of each of the four stars is close to that of the central dipole. Unfortunately, the number of measurements for each star is insufficient for accurate finding of the field parameters, and therefore we find no dipole shift exceeding its error Δa ≈ 0.1, expressed as a fraction of the stellar radius. Our data support the opinion that the results of modeling depend most strongly on the adopted inclination of the star’s rotation axis i.     

Anomalous abundance of lithium in the roAp star HD 12098 recently discovered in the northern hemisphere of the sky

Spectral observations of Ap-CP stars with the BTA (Special Astronomical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences) using the NES echelle spectrometer have revealed several stars with an anomalous lithium abundance. The oscillating star HD 12098, which is the first roAp star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, merits special attention. Strong, variable LiI 6708 Å line was observed in the spectrum of this star. There are not enough observations for a reliable analysis by Doppler mapping, but there are enough to indicate the presence of lithium spots on the surface of this star similar to the roAp stars HD 83368 and HD 60435, on whose surfaces spots with a high lithium abundance have been reliably detected. Parameters for a model of its atmosphere have been chosen using the method of synthetic spectra based on atmospheric models including lines from the VALD list and several additional blended REE lines calculated by the authors. The profile of the lithium LiI 6708 Å blend has been calculated taking the magnetic field into account using the SYNTHM code. A lithium abundance has been determined for two phases of the rotation of HD 12098 that is anomalously high compared to the solar and meteoritic abundances. The large difference in the lithium abundance in the two phases (in two different regions on the star's surface) exceeds 0.5 dex and is very close to that which we have found by analyzing the spectra of the roAp stars HD 83368 and HD 60435. Thus, we have discovered yet another roAp star, HD 12098, with lithium spots on its surface. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 607–616 (November 2008).     

Magnetic Models of HD 115708 and HD 119419

The magnetic fields of the chemically peculiar stars HD 115708 and HD 119419 were modeled using observed curves of variation of the magnetic field with the phase of the rotational period. It turned out that the field of HD 115708 is described, in a first approximation, by a central dipole, while the field of HD 119419 is described by an off-center dipole. The main parameters of the magnetic fields of both stars and maps of the surface field-strength distribution were obtained. The dipole axis of the first star lies in the equatorial plane while that of the second is almost parallel to the axis of rotation.     

Spectrophotometry of HD 182255

We investigate the HD 182255, a star earlier suspected to be helium-weak. We show it to be a SiHe-w-type CP object. Our study revealed four regions with anomalous elemental abundances on the stellar surface near the equator of rotation. Its magnetic field could not be measured, apparently due to the unfavorable orientation of the star. The star is seen almost (rotation) pole on, the inclination of its rotation axis is i = 12°. The magnitude of HD 182255 varies as a result of its rotation owing to the nonuniform distribution of chemical elements on its surface, which leads to the variable blanketing effect. The helium and silicon abundances increase with depth, i.e., the stratification typical of CP stars is observed. The star undergoes nonradial pulsations and nonstationary variations of the structure of its upper atmosphere.     

Model of the Magnetic Field of HD 187474

A model is constructed for the magnetic field of the star HD 187474, which has a very long axial rotation period P = 2345^d. It turns out that the structure of the magnetic field is best described by a model of a displaced (Δα = 0.1) dipole inclined to the axis of rotation by an angle β = 24°. The star is inclined to the line of sight by an angle i = 86°. Because of the displaced dipole the magnitude of the magnetic field differs at the poles: Bp = +6300 and 11600 G. A Mercator map of the distribution of the magnetic field over the surface is obtained. The 7 slowly rotating CP stars studied thus far have an average angle β = 62°, which equals the average value for a random orientation of dipoles. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 575–583 (November 2005).     

HARPS spectropolarimetry of Herbig Ae/Be stars

Our knowledge of the presence and the strength of magnetic fields in intermediate‐mass pre‐main‐sequence stars remains very poor. We present new magnetic field measurements in six Herbig Ae/Be stars observed with HARPS in spectropolarimetric mode. We downloaded from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) archive the publically available HARPS spectra for six Herbig Ae/Be stars. Wavelength shifts between right‐ and left‐hand side circularly polarised spectra were interpreted in terms of a longitudinal magnetic field 〈B_z〉, using the moment technique introduced by Mathys. The application of the moment technique to the HARPS spectra allowed us in addition to study the presence of the crossover effect and quadratic magnetic fields. Our search for longitudinal magnetic fields resulted in first detections of weak magnetic fields in the Herbig Ae/Be stars HD 58647 and HD 98922. Further, we confirm the previous tentative detection of a weak magnetic field in HD 104237 by Donati et al. and confirm the previous detection of a magnetic field in the Herbig Ae star HD 190073. Surprisingly, the measured longitudinal magnetic field of HD 190073, 〈B_z〉 = 91 ± 18 G at a significance level of 5σ is not in agreement with the measurement results of Alecian et al. (2013), 〈B_z〉 = –10 ± 20 G, who applied the LSD method to exactly the same data. No crossover effect was detected for any star in the sample. Only for HD 98922 the crossover effect was found tobe close to 3σ with a measured value of –4228 ± 1443 km s^–1 G. A quadratic magnetic field of the order of 10 kG was detected in HD 98922, and of ∼3.5 kG in HD 104237. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Composite spectra XIX: HD 208253, a long‐period binary whose hot secondary has enhanced strontium and barium

We separate and analyse the component spectra of the composite‐spectrum binary HD 208253. We find that the cool primary is an evolving star of spectral type G7 III, while its hot secondary is an early‐A dwarf. The giant is currently near the lowest point of the red‐giant branch and is slightly less luminous than its dwarf companion. We provide a set of precise radial‐velocity measurements for both stars. The double‐lined orbit which we derive from them shows that the component mass ratio is close to unity (q = 1.05 ± 0.01). We deduce the physical properties of both stars, determine their respective masses to be 2.75 ± 0.07 Me (giant) and 2.62 ± 0.07 Me (dwarf), and show that the orbit's inclination is within a degree or two of 68°. The spectrum of the A‐type component has quite component has quite narrow lines (we infer a rotational velocity of 18 km s^–1), though since the period of the orbit is well over 1 year that component cannot be in synchronous rotation. An intriguing property of the dwarf is its enhanced Sr and Ba, though it does not exhibit the other spectral peculiarities that would signal a classical Am star. While by no means unique amongst the multitude of oddities exhibited by A and early‐F stars, this dwarf which we have uncovered in a long‐period binary offers valuable constraints and challenges to stellar‐evolution theory. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Differential rotation on both components of the pre-main-sequence binary system HD 155555

We present the first measurements of surface differential rotation on a pre-main-sequence binary system. Using intensity (Stokes I) and circularly polarized (Stokes V) time-series spectra, taken over 11 nights at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), we incorporate a solar-like differential rotation law into the surface imaging process. We find that both components of the young, 18 Myr, HD 155555 (V824 Ara, G5IV + K0IV) binary system show significant differential rotation. The equator–pole lap times as determined from the intensity spectra are 80 d for the primary star and 163 d for the secondary. Similarly, for the magnetic spectra we obtain equator–pole lap times of 44 and 71 d, respectively, showing that the shearing time-scale of magnetic regions is approximately half of that found for stellar spots. Both components are therefore found to have rates of differential rotation similar to those of the same spectral-type main-sequence single stars. The results for HD 155555 are therefore in contrast to those found in other, more evolved, binary systems where negligible or weak differential rotation has been discovered. We discuss two possible explanations for this: first that at the age of HD 155555 binary tidal forces have not yet had time to suppress differential rotation and secondly that the weak differential rotation previously observed on evolved binaries is a consequence of their large convection zone depths. We suggest that the latter is the more likely solution and show that both temperature and convection zone depth (from evolutionary models) are good predictors of differential rotation strength. Finally, we also examine the possible consequences of the measured differential rotation on the interaction of binary star coronae.     

Photoelektrische Untersuchungen des Magnetfeldes und der Helligkeit der Am-Sterne 15 Vul und 68 Tau

The Am stars 15 Vul and 68 Tau have been observed photoelectrically in the UBV system and for determination of the longitudinal magnetic field component. Both the stars show periodical variations of the magnitude and the magnetic field. The periods are determined to 14.0 days for 15 Vul and 57.25 days for 68 Tau. The variations of these Am stars are the same as those of typical Ap stars. The star 68 Tau was found to be a spectroscopical binary. The period of the orbital motion is 57.25 days, too. The rotation of the components is synchronous.     

Magnetic stars with wide depressions in the continuum. 1. The Ap star with strong silicon lines HD5601

Based on observations with the 6-m SAO RAS telescope, we have found that chemically peculiar star with a large depression of the continuum at λ5200 Å and strengthened silicon lines in the spectrum has a strong magnetic field. The longitudinal field component B_e has a negative polarity and varies from ?300 G to ?2000 G with a period of 1.756 days. Photometric variations of brightness take place with the same period. We determined the variability of the radial velocity at times of about tens of years pointing to a possible binarity of the object. We have built a magnetic model of this star, determined the inclination angles of the rotation axis to the line of sight i = 20° and of the dipole axis to the rotation axis β = 116°, and the field strength at the pole is B_p = 10 kG. We carried out a chemical composition analysis and found a lack of helium for almost an order of magnitude, some overabundance of silicon and metal elements for more than an order of magnitude, particularly, cobalt for three orders of magnitude.