Properties of a volume-limited sample of magnetic Ap/Bp stars

TL;DR

This study characterizes the magnetic properties of a volume-limited sample of Ap/Bp stars within 100 parsecs, providing an unbiased view of their magnetic field distribution and stellar parameters.

Contribution

It presents the first effectively unbiased magnetic field distribution for intermediate mass stars within 100 parsecs, based on a comprehensive sample and new spectropolarimetric observations.

Findings

57 magnetic Ap/Bp stars identified within 100 parsecs

Magnetic Ap stars constitute about 1.7% of intermediate mass stars in the volume

Mass distribution peaks between 3.3 and 3.6 solar masses

Abstract

This paper describes a study to deduce fundamental parameters and magnetic field characteristics for all magnetic Ap/Bp stars with in a 100 parsec heliocentric radius volume. This study has allowed for the first time the determination of an effectively unbiased magnetic field distribution of a sample of intermediate mass stars. From published catalogues and other literature sources, we have identified 57 bone fide magnetic A and B stars in the volume, corresponding to 1.7% of all intermediate mass stars within 100 parsec of the Sun. The masses of Ap stars range from 1.5 to 6 solar masses, with the peak of the mass incidence distribution between 3.3 and 3.6 solar masses. Observations of 30 of the Ap/Bp stars were obtained using the MuSiCoS spectropolarimeter at the Telescope Bernard Lyot at Pic du Midi Observatory. These observations will be used to refine periods, and determine magnetic field strength and geometry.