CHARA Near-Infrared Imaging of the Yellow Hypergiant Star $\rho$ Cassiopeiae: Convection Cells and Circumstellar Envelope

TL;DR

This study used near-infrared interferometry to image the yellow hypergiant $ ho$ Cassiopeiae, revealing convection cells and an extended circumstellar envelope, providing insights into mass loss mechanisms in evolved massive stars.

Contribution

First high-resolution near-infrared imaging of $ ho$ Cassiopeiae showing convection cells and circumstellar material, linking surface activity to mass ejection processes.

Findings

Detected giant hot and cold spots on the star's surface.

Measured the star's radius as approximately 564-700 solar radii.

Revealed an extended circumstellar envelope via spectral line imaging.

Abstract

Massive evolved stars such as red supergiants and hypergiants are potential progenitors of Type II supernovae, and they are known for ejecting substantial amounts of matter, up to half their initial mass, during their final evolutionary phases. The rate and mechanism of this mass loss play a crucial role in determining their ultimate fate and the likelihood of their progression to supernovae. However, the exact mechanisms driving this mass ejection have long been a subject of research. Recent observations, such as the Great Dimming of Betelgeuse, have suggested that the activity of large convective cells, combined with pulsation, could be a plausible explanation for such mass loss events. In this context, we conducted interferometric observations of the famous yellow hypergiant, $\rho$ Cassiopeiae using the CHARA Array in H and K-band wavelengths. $\rho$ Cas is well known for its recurrent eruptions, characterized by periods of visual dimming ($\sim$1.5-2 mag) followed by recovery. From our observations, we derived the diameter of the limb-darkened disk and found that this star has a radius of $1.04\pm0.01$ milliarcseconds (mas), or $564 - 700 R_\odot$. We performed image reconstructions with three different image reconstruction software packages, and they unveiled the presence of giant hot and cold spots on the stellar surface. We interpret these prominent hot spots as giant convection cells, suggesting a possible connection to mass ejections from the star's envelope. Furthermore, we detected spectral CO emission lines in the K-band ($\lambda=2.31-2.38 \mu$m), and the image reconstructions in these spectral lines revealed an extended circumstellar envelope with a radius of $1.45\pm0.10$ mas.