VLTI-AMBER observations of Eta Carinae with the FINITO fringe tracker and spectral resolution 12000

Gerd Weigelt; Olivier Chesneau; Thomas Driebe; Renaud Foy; Didier Fraix-Burnet; Jose H. Groh; Karl-Heinz Hofmann; Stefan Kraus; Fabien Malbet; Alessandro Marconi; Philippe Mathias; Florentin Millour; Jean-Louis Monin; Romain G. Petrov; Frederik Rantakyrö; Andrea Richichi; Dieter Schertl; Markus Schöller; Philippe Stee; Leonardo Testi; Markus Wittkowski

doi:10.1117/12.796204

28 July 2008 VLTI-AMBER observations of Eta Carinae with the FINITO fringe tracker and spectral resolution 12000

Gerd Weigelt, Olivier Chesneau, Thomas Driebe, Renaud Foy, Didier Fraix-Burnet, Jose H. Groh, Karl-Heinz Hofmann, Stefan Kraus, Fabien Malbet, Alessandro Marconi, Philippe Mathias, Florentin Millour, Jean-Louis Monin, Romain G. Petrov, Frederik Rantakyrö, Andrea Richichi, Dieter Schertl, Markus Schöller, Philippe Stee, Leonardo Testi, Markus Wittkowski

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry; 701303 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.796204
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

We present interferometric near-infrared observations of the Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) η Car using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and the AMBER instrument of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). A high spatial resolution of 5 mas (~11.5 AU) and a high spectral resolution R = λ/Δλ=1500 and 12000 were obtained. Some of the data was recorded using the fringe tracker FINITO. The observations were obtained in the wavelength range around both the He I 2.059 μm and the Brγ 2.166 μm emission lines. The AMBER interferograms allow the investigation of the wavelength dependence of η Car's visibility, wavelength-differential phase, and closure phase. If we fit Hillier et al. model visibilities to the observations, we obtain 50% encircled-energy diameters of 4.2, 6.5 and 9.6 mas in the 2.17 μm continuum, the He I, and the Brγ emission lines, respectively. In the continuum, an elongation along a position angle of 120° ± 15° was derived from the visibilities. The VLTI observations support theoretical models of anisotropic winds from fast-rotating, luminous hot stars with enhanced high-velocity mass loss near the pole.

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Gerd Weigelt, Olivier Chesneau, Thomas Driebe, Renaud Foy, Didier Fraix-Burnet, Jose H. Groh, Karl-Heinz Hofmann, Stefan Kraus, Fabien Malbet, Alessandro Marconi, Philippe Mathias, Florentin Millour, Jean-Louis Monin, Romain G. Petrov, Frederik Rantakyrö, Andrea Richichi, Dieter Schertl, Markus Schöller, Philippe Stee, Leonardo Testi, and Markus Wittkowski "VLTI-AMBER observations of Eta Carinae with the FINITO fringe tracker and spectral resolution 12000", Proc. SPIE 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry, 701303 (28 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.796204

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