The systematic detection of magnetic fields in the descendants of massive OB stars

TL;DR

This study systematically detects magnetic fields in cool supergiants, descendants of massive OB stars, using spectropolarimetry, revealing complex magnetic signatures in a significant fraction of the sample.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic survey method for detecting magnetic fields in late-type supergiants, expanding understanding of magnetic phenomena in stellar evolution.

Findings

Detectable magnetic fields in a significant fraction of observed supergiants

Complex Stokes V Zeeman signatures observed in mean line profiles

Magnetic fields are more common in these evolved massive stars than previously known

Abstract

We present the results of an ongoing survey of cool, late-type supergiants - the descendants of massive O- and B-type stars - that has systematically detected magnetic fields in these stars using spectropolarimetric observations obtained with ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Our observations reveal detectable, often complex, Stokes V Zeeman signatures in Least-Squares Deconvolved mean line profiles in a significant fraction of the observed sample of ~30 stars.