Resolving the circumstellar environment of the Galactic B[e] supergiant star MWC 137, II : nebular kinematics and stellar variability

Autor: Alexei Moiseev, David O. Jones, Dieter H. Nickeler, Julieta Paz Sánchez Arias, Lydia Sonia Cidale, T. Liimets, Michaela Kraus
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
individual (MWC 137) [stars]
Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
FOS: Physical sciences
Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
01 natural sciences
circumstellar matter
Spectral line
Nordic Optical Telescope
law.invention
early-type [stars]
Telescope
purl.org/becyt/ford/1 [https]
massive [stars]
law
0103 physical sciences
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Emission spectrum
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Physics
Solar mass
Nebula
010308 nuclear & particles physics
Astronomy and Astrophysics
purl.org/becyt/ford/1.3 [https]
Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
Photometry (astronomy)
Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
13. Climate action
Space and Planetary Science
Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Supergiant
Zdroj: CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
instacron:CONICET
The Astronomical Journal
Popis: The Galactic B[e] supergiant MWC 137 is surrounded by a large-scale optical nebula. To shed light on the physical conditions and kinematics of the nebula, we analyze the optical forbidden emission lines [NII] 6548,6583 and [SII] 6716,6731 in long-slit spectra taken with ALFOSC at the Nordic Optical Telescope. The radial velocities display a complex behavior but, in general, the northern nebular features are predominantly approaching while the southern ones are mostly receding. The electron density shows strong variations across the nebula with values spreading from about zero to ~800 cm$^{-3}$. Higher densities are found closer to MWC~137 and in regions of intense emission, whereas in regions with high radial velocities the density decreases significantly. We also observe the entire nebula in the two [SII] lines with the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer attached to the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. These data reveal a new bow-shaped feature at PA = 225-245 and a distance 80" from MWC 137. A new H$\alpha$ image has been taken with the Danish 1.54-m telescope on La Silla. No expansion or changes in the nebular morphology appear within 18.1 years. We derive a mass of 37 (+9/-5) solar masses and an age of $4.7\pm0.8$ Myr for MWC 137. Furthermore, we detect a period of 1.93 d in the time series photometry collected with the TESS satellite, which could suggest stellar pulsations. Other, low-frequency variability is seen as well. Whether these signals are caused by internal gravity waves in the early-type star or by variability in the wind and circumstellar matter currently cannot be distinguished.
Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, Table 1 is only available in electronic form, submitted to AJ
Databáze: OpenAIRE