Long-Term Polarization Observations of Mira Variable Stars Suggest Asymmetric Structures
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
3-3-2014
Description
Mira and semi-regular variable stars have been studied for centuries but continue to be enigmatic. One unsolved mystery is the presence of polarization from these stars. In particular, we present 40 years of polarization measurements for the prototype o Ceti and V CVn and find very different phenomena for each star. The polarization fraction and position angle for Mira is found to be small and highly variable. On the other hand, the polarization fraction for V CVn is large and variable, from 2-7%, and its position angle is approximately constant, suggesting a long-term asymmetric structure. We suggest a number of potential scenarios to explain these observations.
Citation Information
Neilson, Hilding R.; Ignace, Richard; and Henson, Gary D.. 2014. Long-Term Polarization Observations of Mira Variable Stars Suggest Asymmetric Structures. Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Vol.9(S301). 463-464. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921313015068 ISSN: 1743-9213 ISBN: 9781107045170