Observations of magnetic fields in hot stars
Abstract
The presence of magnetic fields at the surfaces of many massive stars has been suspected for decades, to explain the observed properties and activity of OB stars. However, very few genuine high-mass stars had been identified as magnetic before the advent of a new generation of powerful spectropolarimeters that has resulted in a rapid burst of precise information about the magnetic properties of massive stars. During this talk, I will briefly review modern methods used to diagnose magnetic fields of higher-mass stars, and summarize our current understanding of the magnetic properties of OB stars.
- Publication:
-
Active OB Stars: Structure, Evolution, Mass Loss, and Critical Limits
- Pub Date:
- July 2011
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1010.2248
- Bibcode:
- 2011IAUS..272..106P
- Keywords:
-
- stars: early-type;
- stars: magnetic fields;
- techniques: polarimetric;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Proceedings of IAUS272: Active OB stars, review talk (11 pages)