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Evidence for a Precessing Disk in the Extreme Binary ϵ Aurigae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2007

Robert E. Stencel
Robert E. Stencel*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Denver, 2112 E. Wesley Ave., Denver CO 80208, USA email: rstencel@du.edu
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Abstract

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Among the longest known eclipse durations and binary periods is that of the star ϵ Aurigae, which exhibits 2-year long eclipses every 27.1 years. Oddly, the nature of the secondary in the system continues to elude ready identification. In 1965, Huang proposed a massive disk as the eclipsing body, and study of the 1984 eclipse led Lissauer and Backman to suggest an embedded B star binary in the disk to maintain it. A collaboration of observers allows me to present recent optical photometry and spectroscopy, near-IR spectroscopy and Spitzer space telescope IRS and MIPS observations of ϵ Aurigae as it approaches its next eclipse. These data argue for current detectability of the embedded binary, and precession of the disk axis, suggesting a radical change is possible for the next mid-eclipse brightening. An international monitoring campaign for the 2009-2011 is being organized, and participation invited via website http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/epsaur.htm.

Keywords

stars: epsilon Aurbinarieseclipsingsupergiantcircumstellar matteraccretion disksinfraredphotometrypolarimetryinterferometry
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 2 , Symposium S240: Binary Stars as Critical Tools & Tests in Contemporary Astrophysics , August 2006 , pp. 202 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007

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