The Optical Wind Line Variability of $\eta$ Carinae During the 2009.0 Event

TL;DR

This study presents high-resolution spectroscopic observations of $\\eta$ Carinae during its 2009.0 event, revealing wind variability caused by the companion star's influence during periastron, including blue-shifted absorption and emission changes.

Contribution

It provides detailed temporal analysis of wind line variations during the 2009.0 event, introducing an illuminated hemisphere model to explain observed spectral features.

Findings

Blue-shifted absorption appeared near periastron in most lines.

Emission strength generally decreased around periastron.

High excitation lines showed a red-ward velocity shift.

Abstract

We report on high-resolution spectroscopy of the 2009.0 spectroscopic event of $\eta$ Carinae collected via SMARTS observations using the CTIO 1.5 m telescope and echelle spectrograph. Our observations were made almost every night over a two-month interval around the photometric minimum of $\eta$ Car associated with the periastron passage of a hot companion. The photoionizing flux of the companion and heating related to colliding winds causes large changes in the wind properties of the massive primary star. Here we present an analysis of temporal variations in a sample of spectral lines that are clearly formed in the wind of the primary star. These lines are affected by a changing illumination of the flux of the secondary star during the periastron passage. We document the sudden onset of blue-shifted absorption that occurred in most of the lines near or slightly after periastron, and we argue that these absorption components are seen when we view the relatively undisturbed wind of the foreground primary star. We present time series measurements of the net equivalent width of the wind lines and of the radial velocities of the absorption trough minima and the emission peak midpoints. Most lines decrease in emission strength around periastron, and those high excitation lines formed close to the primary exhibit a red-ward velocity excursion. We show how these trends can be explained using an illuminated hemisphere model that is based on the idea that the emission originates primarily from the side of the primary facing the hot companion.