The Pleiades Using Astronomical Spectroscopic Technique within the Range of H-{alpha} Region

Journal Article · Wed Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3573687· OSTI ID:21511558

Zambri Zainuddin, Mohd; Muhyidin, Meer Ashwinkumar; Ahmad, Nazhatulshima; Mohd Saadon, Mohd Hafiz ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

The Pleiades is an open star cluster located in the constellation of Taurus, which mainly consists of hot and luminous B-type stars. Observations were conducted over five-day period in December 2009 at Langkawi National Observatory, Malaysia by using 20-inch telescope diameter of Ritchey-Chretien reflector telescope, together with SBIG Self Guided Spectrograph and SBIG ST-7 CCD camera. The spectra of seven main members of the cluster, namely Alcyone; Atlas; Celaeno; Electra; Maia; Merope and Taygeta; and of Alcyone B; a smaller component of Alcyone quadruple system, were obtained in the optical range of approximately 6300 A to 7100 A. This range was picked due to the vicinity of Balmer H-{alpha} spectral line at 6562.852 A. Alcyone, Electra and Merope were found to have H-{alpha} emissions possibly caused by the presence of equatorial circumstellar disks or envelopes made up of ejected matter. Electra and Merope in particular exhibited peculiar asymmetric double emission peaks, which could be evidence of one-armed density wave in each of their circumstellar disks. Atlas, Celaeno, Merope, Taygeta and Alcyone B showed strong H-{alpha} absorptions with broadening characteristic of high rotational velocities. As deduced from the spectra, the stars were found to have atmospheres with similar chemical content, with spectral lines characteristics of singly ionized silicon, singly ionized iron and singly ionized oxygen. The measured radial velocities of all eight stars also suggest that the cluster could someday disperse.

• OSTI ID: 21511558
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1328, Issue 1; Conference: PERFIK-2010: Malaysia annual physics conference 2010, Damai Laut (Malaysia), 27-30 Oct 2010; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3573687; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABSORPTION
ASYMMETRY
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
DENSITY
EMISSION
IRON
OXYGEN
PEAKS
RADIAL VELOCITY
RINGS
SILICON
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
STAR CLUSTERS
TELESCOPES
ELEMENTS
METALS
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMIMETALS
SORPTION
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VELOCITY