Imaging magnetically driven astrospheres: a forward modelling approach

TL;DR

This paper explores a forward modelling approach to detect and map the Ly α emission from astrospheres, aiming to better understand stellar wind properties and astrospheric morphology.

Contribution

It introduces a 3D magnetohydrodynamic model to simulate Ly α emission, assessing its detectability and potential to constrain astrospheric structures.

Findings

Ly α emission from the hydrogen wall is mostly absorbed by the ISM.

Emission from the near-star astrosphere can be detectable with current instruments.

Spatially resolved Ly α emission can reveal astrospheric configuration and stellar wind characteristics.

Abstract

An astrosphere is a vast, tailed bubble-like volume around a star, formed through the interaction between the stellar magnetic field, the stellar wind, and the interstellar medium (ISM). Detecting and characterizing astrospheres are essential for constraining stellar wind properties, understanding stellar evolution, and assessing the habitability of surrounding exoplanetary systems. Charge exchanges between ionized stellar wind particles and cold ISM hydrogen atoms populate the astrosphere with neutral hydrogen, which can leave observable signatures in the Lyman-{\alpha} (Ly {\alpha}) line absorption profile. Previous studies have inferred stellar mass-loss rates by measuring Ly {\alpha} absorption in stellar spectra caused by astrospheric neutral hydrogen. However, owing to observational limitations, our knowledge of the global morphology of astrospheres remains limited and largely dependent on sometimes contradictory simulation results. Here we investigate the feasibility of detecting Ly {\alpha} emission generated by resonant scattering from neutral hydrogen surrounding the star, enabling the construction of a two-dimensional map of the astrosphere. With a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic astrosphere model, we perform forward modelling of the Ly {\alpha} emission and assess the feasibility of this approach by comparing the predicted spectral intensity with the observational limits of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Our results indicate that Ly {\alpha} emission from the hydrogen wall is largely absorbed by the ISM, whereas emission from the near-star astrosphere can remain detectable. The spatially resolved circumstellar Ly {\alpha} emission could provide important constraints on the astrospheric configuration and stellar wind properties, such as the standing distance of the bow shock, the symmetry of stellar wind mass loss, and the shape of the astro-tail.