Shock-Induced Polarized Hydrogen Emission Lines in omicron Ceti

Lèbre, A.; Fabas, N.; Gillet, D.
Bibliographical reference

16th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun. ASP Conference Series, Vol. 448, proceedings of a conference held August 28- September 2, 2010 at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Edited by Christopher M. Johns-Krull, Matthew K. Browning, and Andrew A. West. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2012., p.999

Advertised on:
12
2011
Number of authors
3
IAC number of authors
0
Citations
2
Refereed citations
2
Description
We have performed a spectropolarimetric survey of the variable Mira star omicron Ceti along three pulsation cycles. We present those new data collected with the Narval instrument mounted on the Telescope Bernard Lyot (TBL) in Pic du Midi, France. We have detected time variable polarimetric signatures (on QUV Stokes spectra) associated with Balmer hydrogen emission lines supposed to be formed behind the front of a shock wave propagating throughout the stellar atmosphere. We associate the linear polarization of Balmer emission lines in Mira stars to the presence and the structure of the radiative shock wave.