Stars are not perfectly spherically symmetric. They are deformed by rotation and magnetic fields. Until now, the study of stellar shapes has only been possible with optical interferometry for a few of the fastest-rotating nearby stars. We report an asteroseismic measurement, with much better precision than interferometry, of the asphericity of an A-type star with a rotation period of 100 days. Using the fact that different modes of oscillation probe different stellar latitudes, we infer a tiny but significant flattening of the stars shape of $Delta R/R = (1.8 pm 0.6) times 10^{-6}$. For a stellar radius $R$ that is $2.24$ times the solar radius, the difference in radius between the equator and the poles is $Delta R = 3 pm 1$ km. Because the observed $Delta R/R$ is only one-third of the expected rotational oblateness, we conjecture the presence of a weak magnetic field on a star that does not have an extended convective envelope. This calls to question the origin of the magnetic field.
Download