EUVE Observations of Nearby Be Stars

Pointed EUVE observations are being carried through of several nearby Be stars that display low column densities of neutral hydrogen to search for the presence of a 10(5}-10({7)) K plasma that contemporary theories of disk formation and episodic activity predict. Program stars include alpha Eri, kappa Dra, mu Cen, and delta Cen. Since we believe that these objects are viewed at inclinations <45(o) (v sin i <= 225 km s(-1) ), a predicted shock-heated plasma on the periphery of the disk should be observable as a large portion of the ``top/bottom'' of the disk will be seen in projection and minimal attenuation of the emission is expected. alpha Eri and mu Cen display transient disks and short-term photometric variability (1.3 and 0.7(d) respectively) attributed to nonradial pulsations, which provide favorable scenarios for the generation of a shock-heated circumstellar plasma. The first observations for this project are scheduled for 1993 April and preliminary results will be presented in this paper.