Abstract
We report on the N II λλ5668-5712 emission and absorption lines in the spectrum of η Carinae. Spectral lines of the stellar wind regions can be classified into four physically distinct categories: (1) low-excitation emission such as H I and Fe II, (2) higher-excitation He I features, (3) the N II lines discussed in this paper, and (4) He II emission. These categories have different combinations of radial velocity behavior, excitation processes, and dependences on the secondary star. The N II lines are the only known features that originate in "normal" undisturbed zones of the primary wind but depend primarily on the location of the hot secondary star. N II probably excludes some proposed models, such as those where He I lines originate in the secondary star's wind or in an accretion disk.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-4-2011
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/70
Related Content
Repository Citation
Mehner, Andrea; Davidson, Kris; and Ferland, Gary J., "N II λλ5668−5712: A New Class of Spectral Features in Eta Carinae" (2011). Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications. 73.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/physastron_facpub/73
Notes/Citation Information
Published in The Astrophysical Journal, v. 737, no. 2, 70, p. 1-6.
© 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
The copyright holder has granted permission for posting the article here.