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Optical aperture synthetic images of the photosphere and molecular atmosphere of Mira

Haniff, C. A. and Ghez, A. M. and Gorham, P. W. and Kulkarni, S. R. and Matthews, K. and Neugebauer, G. (1992) Optical aperture synthetic images of the photosphere and molecular atmosphere of Mira. Astronomical Journal, 103 (5). pp. 1662-1667. ISSN 0004-6256. doi:10.1086/116182. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170301-070004092

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Abstract

We have used aperture synthetic imaging methods to obtain diffraction-limited images of the photosphere and molecular atmosphere of the long period variable star Mira (o Ceti). These maps, obtained close to the peak of Mira's variability cycle, clearly indicate substantial distortions from circular symmetry. Our image of the emission due to resonant scattering of TiO shows a significant contribution due to a cool atmosphere with a radius one and a half times as great as that of the photosphere. We suggest that the photospheric asymmetry is most likely associated with the intrinsic pulsation mode of the star and that stable nonradial pulsation modes can coexist with the radial modes that are responsible for the photometric variability. Further aperture synthetic mapping, which should be possible for a major fraction of the photometric cycle, is capable of verifying this hypothesis.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1086/116182DOIArticle
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992AJ....103.1662HADSArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Ghez, A. M.0000-0003-3230-5055
Kulkarni, S. R.0000-0001-5390-8563
Additional Information:© 1992 American Astronomical Society. Received 7 November 1991; revised 21 January 1992. We are grateful to E. S. Phinney and N. Murray for useful discussions and to H. Spinrad for the loan of the narrowband filters. Vital assistance at the telescope was provided by Juan Carrasco. S.R.K.’s research is funded in part by the Packard Foundation and a NSF Presidential Young Investigator award. C.A.H. was supported by a SERC/NATO research fellowship.
Group:UNSPECIFIED, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
David and Lucile Packard FoundationUNSPECIFIED
NSFUNSPECIFIED
Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC)UNSPECIFIED
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)UNSPECIFIED
Issue or Number:5
DOI:10.1086/116182
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20170301-070004092
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170301-070004092
Official Citation:Optical aperture synthetic images of the photosphere and molecular atmosphere of Mira Haniff, C. A., Ghez, A. M., Gorham, P. W., Kulkarni, S. R., Matthews, K., & Neugebauer, G., , Astronomical Journal (ISSN 0004-6256), vol. 103, no. 5, May 1992, p. 1662-1667, 1719.
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:74624
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Ruth Sustaita
Deposited On:01 Mar 2017 15:49
Last Modified:11 Nov 2021 05:28

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