A new observational tracer for high-density disc-like structures around B[e] supergiants

TL;DR

This paper introduces the [Ca II] emission lines as new high-density disc tracers around B[e] supergiants, revealing their Keplerian rotation and providing insights into disc structure and kinematics.

Contribution

It identifies [Ca II] lines as novel tracers for high-density regions in B[e] supergiant discs, enhancing understanding of their kinematics and structure.

Findings

[Ca II] lines originate from denser, inner disc regions.

Discs exhibit Keplerian rotation patterns.

Possible spiral arm structure in LHA 120-S 22.

Abstract

The disc formation mechanism of B[e] supergiants is one of the puzzling phenomena in massive star evolution. Rapid stellar rotation seems to play an important role for the non-spherically symmetric mass-loss leading to a high-density disc or ring-like structure of neutral material around these massive and luminous objects. The radial density and temperature structure as well as the kinematics within this high-density material are, however, not well studied. Based on high-resolution optical spectra of a sample of B[e] supergiants in the Magellanic Clouds we especially searched for tracers of the kinematics within their discs. Besides the well-known [O I] lines, we discovered the [Ca II] {\lambda}{\lambda}7291, 7324 lines that can be used as a complementary set of disc tracers. We find that these lines originate from very high-density regions, located closer to the star than the [O I] {\lambda}5577 line-forming region. The line profiles of both the [O I] and the [Ca II] lines indicate that the discs or rings of high-density material are in Keplerian rotation. We estimate plausible ranges of disc inclination angles for the sample of B[e] supergiants and suggest that the star LHA 120-S 22 might have a spiral arm rather than a disc.