ETA CARINAE ACROSS THE 2003.5 MINIMUM: ANALYSIS IN THE VISIBLE AND NEAR-INFRARED SPECTRAL REGION

Journal Article · Wed Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0067-0049/181/2/473; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21269211

Nielsen, K E; Kober, G Vieira ^[1]; Weis, K; Bomans, D J ^[2]; Gull, T R ^[3]

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1. Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 (United States)
2. Astronomisches Institut, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)
3. Astrophysics Science Division, Code 667, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

We present an analysis of the visible through near-infrared spectrum of Eta Carinae ({eta} Car) and its ejecta obtained during the '{eta} Car Campaign with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT)'. This is a part of larger effort to present a complete {eta} Car spectrum, and extends the previously presented analyses with the Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) in the UV (1240-3159 A) to 10,430 A. The spectrum in the mid- and near-UV is characterized by the ejecta absorption. At longer wavelengths, stellar wind features from the central source and narrow-emission lines from the Weigelt condensations dominate the spectrum. However, narrow absorption lines from the circumstellar shells are present. This paper provides a description of the spectrum between 3060 and 10,430 A, including line identifications of the ejecta absorption spectrum, the emission spectrum from the Weigelt condensations and the P Cygni stellar wind features. The high spectral resolving power of VLT/UVES enables equivalent width measurements of atomic and molecular absorption lines for elements with no transitions at the shorter wavelengths. However, the ground-based seeing and contributions of nebular-scattered radiation prevent direct comparison of measured equivalent widths in the VLT/UVES and HST/STIS spectra. Fortunately, HST/STIS and VLT/UVES have a small overlap in wavelength coverage which allows us to compare and adjust for the difference in scattered radiation entering the instruments' apertures. This paper provides a complete online VLT/UVES spectrum with line identifications and a spectral comparison between HST/STIS and VLT/UVES between 3060 and 3160 A.

• OSTI ID: 21269211
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 181; ISSN 0067-0049; ISSN APJSA2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
APERTURES
EMISSION SPECTRA
INFRARED SPECTRA
MATTER
NEAR INFRARED RADIATION
PHOTON EMISSION
STARS
STELLAR WINDS
TELESCOPES
WAVELENGTHS