No Arabic abstract
We present the results of a multiplicity survey for a magnitude-limited sample of 31 classical Be stars conducted with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer and the Mark III Stellar Interferometer. The interferometric observations were used to detect companions in ten previously known binary systems. For two of these sources (66 Oph and $beta$ Cep) new orbital solutions were obtained, while for a third source ($upsilon$ Sgr) our observations provide the first direct, visual detection of the hot sdO companion to the Be primary star. Combining our interferometric observations with an extensive literature search, we conclude that an additional four sources (o Cas, 15 Mon, $beta$ Lyr, and $beta$ Cep) also contain wider binary components that are physical companions to the narrow binaries, thus forming hierarchical multiple systems. Among the sources not previously confirmed as spectroscopic or visual binaries, BK Cam was resolved on a number of nights within a close physical proximity of another star with relative motion possibly suggesting a physical binary. Combining our interferometric observations with an extensive literature search, we provide a detailed listing of companions known around each star in the sample, and discuss the multiplicity frequency in the sample. We also discuss the prospects for future multiplicity studies of classical Be stars by long baseline optical interferometry.
In this study, we analyze the emission lines of different species present in 118 Galactic field classical Be stars in the wavelength range of 3800 - 9000 AA. We re-estimated the extinction parameter (A$_V$) for our sample stars using the newly available data from Gaia DR2 and suggest that it is important to consider A$_V$ while measuring the Balmer decrement (i.e. $D_{34}$ and $D_{54}$) values in classical Be stars. Subsequently, we estimated the Balmer decrement values for 105 program stars and found that $approx$ 20% of them show $D_{34}$ $geq$ 2.7, implying that their circumstellar disc are generally optically thick in nature. One program star, HD 60855 shows H$alpha$ in absorption -- indicative of discless phase. From our analysis, we found that in classical Be stars, H$alpha$ emission equivalent width values are mostly lower than 40 AA, which agrees with that present in literature. Moreover, we noticed that a threshold value of $sim$ 10 AA~of H$alpha$ emission equivalent width is necessary for Fe{sc ii} emission to become visible. We also observed that emission line equivalent widths of H$alpha$, P14, Fe{sc ii} 5169 and O{sc i} 8446 AA~for our program stars tend to be more intense in earlier spectral types, peaking mostly near B1-B2. Furthermore, we explored various formation regions of Ca{sc ii} emission lines around the circumstellar disc of classical Be stars. We suggest the possibility that Ca{sc ii} triplet emission can originate either in the circumbinary disc or from the cooler outer regions of the disc, which might not be isothermal in nature.
We present a spectroscopic study of 150 Classical Be stars in 39 open clusters using medium resolution spectra in the wavelength range 3800 - 9000 AA. One-third of the sample (48 stars in 18 clusters) has been studied for the first time. All these candidates were identified from an extensive survey of emission stars in young open clusters using slitless spectroscopy (Mathew et al. 2008). This large data set covers CBe stars of various spectral types and ages found in different cluster environments in largely northern open clusters, and is used to study the spectral characteristics of CBe stars in cluster environments. About 80% of CBe stars in our sample have H-alpha equivalent width in the range -1 to -40 AA. About 86% of the surveyed CBe stars show Fe II lines. The prominent Fe II lines in our surveyed stars are 4584, 5018, 5169, 5316, 6318, 6384, 7513 and 7712 AA. We have identified short and long-term line profile variability in some candidate stars through repeated observations.
Rapid rotation is a fundamental characteristic of classical Be stars and a crucial property allowing for the formation of their circumstellar disks. Past evolution in a mass and angular momentum transferring binary system offers a plausible solution to how Be stars attained their fast rotation. Although the subdwarf remnants of mass donors in such systems should exist in abundance, only a few have been confirmed due to tight observational constraints. An indirect method of detecting otherwise hidden companions is offered by their effect on the outer parts of Be star disks, which are expected to be disrupted or truncated. In the context of the IR and radio continuum excess radiation originating in the disk, the disk truncation can be revealed by a turndown in the spectral energy distribution due to reduced radio flux levels. In this work we search for signs of spectral turndown in a sample of 57 classical Be stars with radio data, which include new data for 23 stars and the longest wavelength detections so far ($lambda approx$ 10,cm) for 2 stars. We confidently detect the turndown for all 26 stars with sufficient data coverage (20 of which are not known to have close binary companions). For the remaining 31 stars, data are inconclusive as to whether the turndown is present or not. The analysis suggests that many if not all Be stars have close companions influencing their outer disks. If confirmed to be subdwarf companions, the mass transfer spin-up scenario might explain the existence of the vast majority of classical Be stars.
We report on searching for Classical B-type emission-line (CBe) stars from the first data release (DR1) of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST; also named the Guoshoujing Telescope). A total of 192 (12 known CBes) objects were identified as CBe candidates with prominent He~I~$lambda4387$, He~I~$lambda4471$, and Mg~II~$lambda4481$ absorption lines, as well as H$beta$~$lambda4861$ and H$alpha$~$lambda6563$ emission lines. These candidates significantly increases current CBe sample of about 8%. Most of the CBe candidates are distributed at the Galactic Anti-Center due to the LAMOST observing strategy. Only two of CBes are in the star clusters with ages of 15.8 and 398~Myr, respectively.
We give an introduction to interferometrical concepts and their applicability to Be stars. The first part of the paper concentrates on a short historic overview and basic principles of two-beam interferometric observations. In the second part, the VLTI/MIDI instrument is introduced and its first results on Be stars, obtained on alpha Ara and delta Cen, are outlined.