Modelling observable properties of rapidly rotating stars

TL;DR

This paper discusses advanced modeling techniques for rapidly rotating stars, focusing on their observable properties and applying these models to interpret interferometric data of stars like Vega.

Contribution

It introduces a scaling algorithm for 2D stellar models to accurately predict observable properties of rapidly rotating stars such as Vega.

Findings

Scaling models match interferometric observations of Vega.

Improved understanding of surface properties of rapid rotators.

Enhanced models for interpreting stellar inclination and rotation effects.

Abstract

To fully understand the Be star phenomenon, one must have a reasonable degree of knowledge about the star beneath the disk, which is often found to be rapidly rotating. Rapid rotation complicates modelling because fundamental properties like the stellar luminosity and effective temperature require knowledge of the angle of inclina- tion at which the star is observed. Furthermore our knowledge of the structure of rapidly rotating stars is on a less sure foundation than for non-rotating stars. The uncertainties in the inclination and the surface properties of a few rapidly rotating stars have been substantially reduced by interferometric observations over the last decade, and these stars can be used as tests of rotating stellar models, even if those stars themselves may not be Be stars. Vega, as an MK standard, is historically a very important star because it is used for calibration purposes. However, several studies have suggested that Vega is a rapidly rotating star viewed at a very low inclination angle, raising questions as to how well we really know its properties. Appropriate modelling has been challenging and there is still room for debate over the actual properties of Vega, as opposed to its observed properties. We have previously shown that under certain conditions both the stellar surface properties and the deduced surface properties scale from one model to another with the same surface shape. We used this scaling algorithm with realistic 2D models to compute high-resolution spectral energy distributions and interferometric visibilities to determine the best rotating model fit to Vega. Detailed comparisons between the computed and observed data will be presented.