Asteroseismology of the nearby SN-II Progenitor: Rigel. I. The MOST High-precision Photometry and Radial Velocity Monitoring

Rigel (β Ori, B8 Ia) is a nearby blue supergiant displaying α Cyg type variability, and is one of the nearest Type II supernova progenitors. As such it is an excellent test bed to study the internal structure of pre-core-collapse stars. In this study, for the first time, we present 28 days of high-precision MOST photometry and over six years of spectroscopic monitoring. We report 19 significant pulsation modes of signal-to-noise ratio, S/N >~ 4.6 from radial velocities, with variability timescales ranging from 1.21 to 74.7 days, which are associated with high-order low-degree gravity modes. While the radial velocity variations show a degree of correlation with the flux changes, there is no clear interplay between the equivalent widths of different metallic and Hα lines.

Based on data from the MOST satellite, a Canadian Space Agency mission, operated jointly by Dynacon, Inc., the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies, and the University of British Columbia, with the assistance of the University of Vienna.