Publications of the MPIfR Optical & Infrared Interferometry Group


Di Folco, E.; Thévenin, F.; Kervella, P.; Domiciano de Souza, A.; Coudé du Foresto, V.; Ségransan, D.; Morel, P.

VLTI near-IR interferometric observations of Vega-like stars. Radius and age of α PsA, β Leo, β Pic, ɛ Eri and τ Cet

Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.426, p.601-617 (2004)


Abstract
We report in this paper the direct interferometric measurement of the angular diameter of five nearby Vega-like stars: α PsA, β Leo, β Pic, ɛ Eri and τ Cet. The near-infrared (K and H bands) observations were conducted at the VLTI during the commissioning period with the VINCI instrument and three different baselines ranging from 66 m to 140 m. The five stellar photospheres are resolved and we derive their angular diameters with a 1 to 2% accuracy, except for β Pic (14%). We discuss the detectability and the influence of a possible small amount of warm circumstellar dust on our measurements. In addition, we have used the stellar evolution code CESAM (Morel \cite{m97}) to compare the computed fundamental parameters to the observed values (linear diameter, luminosity, temperature and chemical abundance). As a result of the simulation, the age of the stars is inferred and found to be in good agreement with previous estimates from various other methods.

You can get this publication ...


sekr-we@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de
Back to Group Home Page