δ Cen: a new binary Be star detected by VLTI/AMBER
spectro-interferometry
A. Meilland, F. Millour, Ph. Stee, A. Spang, R. Petrov, D. Bonneau, K. Perraut, and F. Massi
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 488, Issue 3, pp.L67-L70 (2008)
Abstract
Aims. We study the Be star δ Cen circumstellar disk using long-baseline interferometry which is the only observing technique capable
of resolving spatially and spectroscopically objects smaller than 5 mas in the H and K band.
Methods. We used the VLTI/AMBER instrument on January 6, 8, and 9, 2008, in the H and K bands to complete low (35) and medium
(1500) spectral resolution observations.
Results. We detected an oscillation in the visibility curve plotted as a function of the spatial frequency which is a clear signature of a
companion around δ Cen. Our best-fit soltution infers a binary separation of 68.7 mas, a companion flux contribution in the K band of
about 7% of the total flux, a PA of 117.5°, and an envelope flux around the Be primary that contributes up to about 50 % of the total
flux, in agreement with our Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) fit. The envelope size is estimated to be 1.6 mas in K but no departure
from spherical symmetry is detected.
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