Absorption line profiles in a companion spectrum of a mass losing cool supergiant
Abstract
Cool star winds can best be observed in resonance absorption lines seen in the spectrum of a hot companion, due to the wind passing in front of the blue star. We calculated absorption line profiles that would be seen in the ultraviolet part of the blue companion spectrum. Line profiles are derived for different radial dependences of the cool star wind and for different orbital phases of the binary. Bowen and Wilson find theoretically that stellar pulsations drive mass loss. We therefore apply our calculations to the Cepheid binary S Muscae which has a B5V companion. We find an upper limit for the Cepheid mass loss of M less than or equal to 7 x 10-10 solar mass per year provided that the stellar wind of the companion does not influence the Cepheid wind at large distances.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990STIN...9234230R
- Keywords:
-
- Absorption Spectra;
- Blue Stars;
- Cepheid Variables;
- Companion Stars;
- Cool Stars;
- Line Spectra;
- Resonance Lines;
- Stellar Mass;
- Stellar Spectra;
- Stellar Winds;
- Supergiant Stars;
- Ultraviolet Spectra;
- Line Shape;
- Mass Flow;
- Stellar Envelopes;
- Stellar Spectrophotometry;
- Unsteady Flow;
- Astronomy