Direct observation of the radial magnetic field gradient in HD58260 from spectropolarimetry of NLTE lines in emission

TL;DR

This study provides spectropolarimetric evidence of the decrease in the radial magnetic field with altitude in the atmosphere of the B-type star HD58260, highlighting the magnetic gradient's role in stellar magnetospheres and high-energy phenomena.

Contribution

It presents the first direct spectropolarimetric observation of the magnetic field gradient in an early-type star's atmosphere, using NLTE emission lines.

Findings

Radial magnetic field decreases with altitude in HD58260.

Emission line profiles indicate a weaker magnetic field in outer layers.

Spectral lines identified for measuring surface magnetic fields.

Abstract

Because of the unquestionable presence of magnetic fields in stars, their role in the structure of stellar atmospheres has for a long time been a subject of speculation. In our contribution to this discussion we present spectropolarimetric evidence of the decrease of the radial component of the magnetic field with altitude in the atmosphere of HD58260, a B-type magnetic star on the main sequence. We show that the Stokes V profiles of metal lines in emission of the outer atmosphere are evidence for a field three times weaker than from absorption lines from inner layers. The extra flow of energetic particles due to the magnetic-gradient pumping mechanism could be at the origin of the magnetospheres surrounding this class of stars and at the basis of the high energy phenomena observed. We also list a series of spectral lines useful for measuring the surface field of early-type stars.