Emission Line Variability In The HgMn Star 11 Per

High spectral resolution observations of the HgMn star 11 Per (HD 16727, B7p) have revealed temporal variability in weak emission lines of Mn II. The observations were obtained on three epochs (JD 2455549.728, 2455555.800, 2455560.693) with the CFHT ESPaDOnS instrument during December 2010, and were complemented with an earlier epoch (JD 2452514.623) NOT SOFIN observation and a spectrum obtained with the CFHT Gecko instrument (JD 2451420.641, presented in Wahlgren & Hubrig 2000, A&A 362, L13). Lines of Mn II multiplet 13 (6120 - 6135 A) are observed in emission at each epoch, but their observed intensities are not in relative proportion to their respective gf-values. The intrinsically strongest line, the J(lower) = 4 to J(upper) = 5 transition at 6122.434A is observed to be a simple emission line on JD 5549 and JD 5560, while on JD 5555 and the two earliest epochs its appearance is that of a P Cyg profile with absorption component on the red side of the line profile. The similar appearance of Mn II multiplet 11 on JD 5549 and JD 5555, along with the similar appearing spectra at the three other epochs suggest that the variability may be rotationally modulated. For main sequence stars of spectral type B5 to B9, the stellar radius ranges from 7 to 2.5 solar radii, respectively, which along with an upper limit of the rotational velocity (v = vsin(i) = 5 km/s, Wahlgren & Hubrig) leads to the determination of a range in the rotation period of approximately 70 to 25 days. This range is greater than the difference between epochs JD 5549 and JD 5560, where the Mn II lines appear roughly similar. Future high resolution spectral observations obtained at a higher cadence are needed to enable a more accurate determination of the rotation period.