Presentation Abstract

Presentation Number 257.08
Presentation Time: Tuesday, Jan 11, 2011, 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Title Ring-like Structures Around Epsilon Aurigae Companion
Author Block Sally Seebode1, S. B. Howell2, D. Drumheller3, D. Stanford3, D. W. Hoard4, R. E. Stencel5
1San Mateo High School, 2NOAO, 3College of San Mateo, 4Spitzer Science Center, 5University of Denver.
Abstract Epsilon Aurigae, a 27.1 year eclipsing binary, consists of a post-AGB F giant and a main sequence B star. The B star is surrounded by a large dust disk. Our team obtained and analyzed over 60 red(5800 - 6600A) and blue (3800 - 4600A) spectra using the College of San Mateo (CSM) Meade 8” telescope, with SBIG SGS spectrograph, and the Kitt Peak National Observatory Coude feed spectrograph. Measurements of the equivalent widths of a number of elements indicate density variations in the dust disk surrounding the companion B star of epsilon Aurigae. This disk substructure is similar to that suggested by Leadbeater and Stencel (2010, http://arxiv.org/abs/1003.3617v2) and agrees with the theoretical rings proposed by S. Ferluga (1990, A&A, 238,270) based on observations of the 1982 eclipse. Our data was collected and analyzed from February 2009 (pre-eclipse) through April 2010. We are continuing to obtain spectroscopic observations through eclipse and egress in order to provide further data and evidence for the possible ring structure in the dusty disk. This study is part of the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Project (NITARP).