@article{CastroFossatiHubrigetal.2015, author = {Castro, Norberto and Fossati, Luca and Hubrig, Swetlana and Simon D{\´i}az, Sergio and Schoeller, Markus and Ilyin, Ilya and Carrol, Thorsten A. and Langer, Norbert and Morel, Thierry and Schneider, Fabian R. N. and Przybilla, Norbert and Herrero, Artemio and de Koter, Alex and Oskinova, Lida and Reisenegger, Andreas and Sana, Hugues}, title = {B fields in OB stars (BOB) Detection of a strong magnetic field in the O9.7 V star HD 54879}, series = {Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal}, volume = {581}, journal = {Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, address = {Les Ulis}, organization = {BOB Collaboration}, issn = {1432-0746}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/201425354}, pages = {14}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The number of magnetic stars detected among massive stars is small; nevertheless, the role played by the magnetic field in stellar evolution cannot be disregarded. Links between line profile variability, enhancements/depletions of surface chemical abundances, and magnetic fields have been identified for low-mass B-stars, but for the O-type domain this is almost unexplored. Based on FORS 2 and HARPS spectropolarimetric data, we present the first detection of a magnetic field in HD54879, a single slowly rotating O9.7 V star. Using two independent and different techniques we obtained the firm detection of a surface average longitudinal magnetic field with a maximum amplitude of about 600 G, in modulus. A quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the star with the stellar atmosphere code FASTWIND results in an effective temperature and a surface gravity of 33 000 +/- 1000K and 4.0 +/- 0.1 dex. The abundances of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, and magnesium are found to be slightly lower than solar, but compatible within the errors. We investigate line-profile variability in HD54879 by complementing our spectra with spectroscopic data from other recent OB-star surveys. The photospheric lines remain constant in shape between 2009 and 2014, although H alpha shows a variable emission. The H alpha emission is too strong for a standard O9.7 V and is probably linked to the magnetic field and the presence of circumstellar material. Its normal chemical composition and the absence of photospheric line profile variations make HD54879 the most strongly magnetic, non-variable single O-star detected to date.}, language = {en} } @article{FossatiCastroMoreletal.2015, author = {Fossati, Luca and Castro, Norberto and Morel, Thierry and Langer, Norbert and Briquet, Maryline and Carroll, Thorsten Anthony and Hubrig, Swetlana and Nieva, Maria-Fernanda and Oskinova, Lida and Przybilla, Norbert and Schneider, Fabian R. N. and Schoeller, Magnus and Simon D{\´i}az, Sergio and Ilyin, Ilya and de Koter, Alex and Reisenegger, Andreas and Sana, Hugues}, title = {B fields in OB stars (BOB): on the detection of weak magnetic fields in the two early B-type stars beta CMa and epsilon CMa Possible lack of a "magnetic desert" in massive stars}, series = {Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal}, volume = {574}, journal = {Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, address = {Les Ulis}, organization = {BOB Collaboration}, issn = {0004-6361}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/201424986}, pages = {15}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Only a small fraction of massive stars seem to host a measurable structured magnetic field, whose origin is still unknown and whose implications for stellar evolution still need to be assessed. Within the context of the "B fields in OB stars (BOB)" collaboration, we used the HARPSpol spectropolarimeter to observe the early B-type stars beta CMa (HD 44743; B1 II/III) and epsilon CMa (HD 52089; B1.5II) in December 2013 and April 2014. For both stars, we consistently detected the signature of a weak (<30 G in absolute value) longitudinal magnetic field, approximately constant with time. We determined the physical parameters of both stars and characterise their X-ray spectrum. For the beta Cep star beta CMa, our mode identification analysis led to determining a rotation period of 13.6 +/- 1.2 days and of an inclination angle of the rotation axis of 57.6 +/- 1.7 degrees, with respect to the line of sight. On the basis of these measurements and assuming a dipolar field geometry, we derived a best fitting obliquity of about 22 degrees and a dipolar magnetic field strength (B-d) of about 100 G (60 < B-d < 230 G within the 1 sigma level), below what is typically found for other magnetic massive stars. This conclusion is strengthened further by considerations of the star's X-ray spectrum. For epsilon CMa we could only determine a lower limit on the dipolar magnetic field strength of 13 G. For this star, we determine that the rotation period ranges between 1.3 and 24 days. Our results imply that both stars are expected to have a dynamical magnetosphere, so the magnetic field is not able to support a circumstellar disk. We also conclude that both stars are most likely core hydrogen burning and that they have spent more than 2/3 of their main sequence lifetime. A histogram of the distribution of the dipolar magnetic field strength for the magnetic massive stars known to date does not show the magnetic field "desert" observed instead for intermediate-mass stars. The biases involved in the detection of (weak) magnetic fields in massive stars with the currently available instrumentation and techniques imply that weak fields might be more common than currently observed. Our results show that, if present, even relatively weak magnetic fields are detectable in massive stars and that more observational effort is probably still needed to properly access the magnetic field incidence.}, language = {en} } @misc{MorelCastroFossatietal.2014, author = {Morel, T. and Castro, Norberto and Fossati, Luca and Hubrig, Swetlana and Langer, N. and Przybilla, Norbert and Sch{\"o}ller, Markus and Carroll, Thorsten Anthony and Ilyin, Ilya and Irrgang, Andreas and Oskinova, Lida and Schneider, Fabian R. N. and Simon D{\´i}az, Sergio and Briquet, Maryline and Gonz{\´a}lez, Jean-Francois and Kharchenko, Nina and Nieva, M.-F. and Scholz, Ralf-Dieter and de Koter, Alexander and Hamann, Wolf-Rainer and Herrero, Artemio and Ma{\´i}z Apell{\´a}niz, Jesus and Sana, Hugues and Arlt, Rainer and Barb{\´a}, Rodolfo H. and Dufton, Polly and Kholtygin, Alexander and Mathys, Gautier and Piskunov, Anatoly E. and Reisenegger, Andreas and Spruit, H. and Yoon, S.-C.}, title = {The B fields in OB stars (BOB) survey}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {821}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-41523}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-415238}, pages = {8}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The B fields in OB stars (BOB) survey is an ESO large programme collecting spectropolarimetric observations for a large number of early-type stars in order to study the occurrence rate, properties, and ultimately the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars. As of July 2014, a total of 98 objects were observed over 20 nights with FORS2 and HARPSpol. Our preliminary results indicate that the fraction of magnetic OB stars with an organised, detectable field is low. This conclusion, now independently reached by two different surveys, has profound implications for any theoretical model attempting to explain the field formation in these objects. We discuss in this contribution some important issues addressed by our observations (e.g., the lower bound of the field strength) and the discovery of some remarkable objects.}, language = {en} }