A Spectroscopic and Photometric Analysis of Pulsations of the F Supergiant \varepsilon Aur
Abstract
We report on a spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the F0 supergiant in the enigmatic, long period eclipsing binary \varepsilon Aurigae (\varepsilon Aur). Archival UBVRIJH photometric data compiled by Hopkins (2012), and radial velocity data from Stefanik et al. (2010) and Chadima et al. (2010) were used to analyze the irregular variability of the supergiant. Using a variation of the Baade-Wesselink method, we estimate a distance to this system. We derive a distance of 1.13 ± 0.21 kpc. This is a more accurate distance determination than previous HIPPARCOS estimates, and is in agreement with recent findings by Guinan et al. (2012), who found a distance of 1.5 ± 0.5 kpc from a study of reddening and interstellar medium absorption from lines of sight to nearby stars. A more complete data set, selected for simultaneous photometric and radial velocity coverage, should provide a more accurate distance.
- Publication:
-
Central European Astrophysical Bulletin
- Pub Date:
- 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013CEAB...37..109W
- Keywords:
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- eclipsing binaries;
- distances;
- \varepsilon Aurigae