The variability of Betelgeuse explained by surface convection

TL;DR

Betelgeuse's observed variability is primarily caused by surface convection motions, as evidenced by spectropolarimetric data showing consistent periodicities, rather than by radial pulsations.

Contribution

This study links Betelgeuse's surface convection to its variability using 10 years of spectropolarimetric data, providing evidence against pulsation-based explanations.

Findings

Similar periods found in polarization and photometry data.

Surface convection explains Betelgeuse's variability.

Pulsations are unlikely the cause of observed variability.

Abstract

Context. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant (RSG) that is known to vary semi-regularly on both short and long timescales. The origin of the short period of Betelgeuse has often been associated to radial pulsations but could also be due to the convection motions present at the surface of RSGs. Aims. We investigate the link between surface activity and the variability of the star. Methods. Linear polarization in Betelgeuse is a proxy of convection which is unrelated to pulsations. Using 10 years of spectropolarimetric data of Betelgeuse, we seek for periodicities in the least-squares deconvolution profiles of Stokes I, Q, U and the total linear polarization using Lomb-Scargle periodograms. Results. We find similar periods in linear polarization signals than in photometric variability. The 400 d period is too close to a peak of the window function of our data. But the two periods of 330 d and 200 d are present in the periodogram of Stokes Q and U, showing that the variability of Betelgeuse can be interpreted as due to surface convection. Conclusions. Since linear polarization in the spectrum of Betelgeuse is not known to vary with pulsations, but is linked to surface convection, and since similar periods are found in time series of photometric measurements and spectropolarimetry, we conclude that the photometric variability is due to the surface convective structures, and not to any pulsation phenomenon.