The Rigidly Rotating Magnetosphere of σ Orionis E
Abstract
We characterize the observed variability of the magnetic helium-strong star σ Ori E in terms of a recently developed rigidly rotating magnetosphere model. This model predicts the accumulation of circumstellar plasma in two corotating clouds, situated in magnetohydrostatic equilibrium at the intersections between the magnetic and rotational equators. We find that the model can reproduce well the periodic modulations observed in the star's light curve, Hα emission-line profile, and longitudinal field strength, confirming that it furnishes an essentially correct, quantitative description of the star's magnetically controlled circumstellar environment.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 2005
- DOI:
- 10.1086/462413
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0503668
- Bibcode:
- 2005ApJ...630L..81T
- Keywords:
-
- Stars: Circumstellar Matter;
- Stars: Chemically Peculiar;
- Stars: Early-Type;
- stars: individual (HD 37479);
- Stars: Magnetic Fields;
- Stars: Rotation;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted by ApJ