The Of?p stars of the Magellanic Clouds: Are they strongly magnetic?

TL;DR

This study models the magnetic properties of newly discovered Of?p stars in the Magellanic Clouds, predicting their magnetic field strengths and assessing the potential for direct detection with current instruments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel algorithm based on the ADM model to constrain magnetic geometries and surface dipole strengths of extragalactic Of?p stars.

Findings

Predicted magnetic field strengths may be detectable with FORS2.

Modeling suggests magnetic geometries compatible with observed variability.

Provides a method to infer magnetic properties from photometric data.

Abstract

All known Galactic Of?p stars have been shown to host strong, organized, magnetic fields. Recently, five Of?p stars have been discovered in the Magellanic Clouds. They posses photometric \citep{Naze} and spectroscopic \citep{Walborn} variability compatible with the Oblique Rotator Model (ORM). However, their magnetic fields have yet to be directly detected. We have developed an algorithm allowing for the synthesis of photometric observables based on the Analytic Dynamical Magnetosphere (ADM) model of \citet{Owocki}. We apply our model to OGLE photometry in order to constrain their magnetic geometries and surface dipole strengths. We predict that the field strengths for some of these candidate extra-Galactic magnetic stars may be within the detection limits of the FORS2 instrument.