2014/06/23 by D. Shulyak, C. Paladini, G. Li Causi +3 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stu1259
Accepted by NMRAS, 18 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables
arxiv created 2014/06/23 · openalex publication_date 2014/07/23 · arxiv updated 2015/06/22 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
By means of numerical experiments we explore the application of interferometry to the detection and characterization of abundance spots in chemically peculiar (CP) stars using the brightest star eps~Uma as a case study. We find that the best spectral regions to search for spots and stellar rotation signatures are in the visual domain. The spots can clearly be detected already at a first visibility lobe and their signatures can be uniquely disentangled from that of rotation. The spots and rotation signatures can also be detected in NIR at low spectral resolution but baselines longer than 180~m are needed for all potential CP candidates. According to our simulations, an instrument like VEGA (or its successor e.g., FRIEND) should be able to detect, in the visual, the effect of spots and spots+rotation, provided that the instrument is able to measure V2≈10-3, and/or closure phase. In infrared, an instrument like AMBER but with longer baselines than the ones available so far would be able to measure rotation and spots. Our study provides necessary details about strategies of spot detection and the requirements for modern and planned interferometric facilities essential for CP star research.