TY - JOUR A1 - Steffen, M. A1 - Hubrig, Swetlana A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Schoeller, M. A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Sandin, Christer A1 - Schönberner, Detlef T1 - Weak magnetic fields in central stars of planetary nebulae? JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. It is not yet clear whether magnetic fields play an essential role in shaping planetary nebulae (PNe), or whether stellar rotation alone and/or a close binary companion, stellar or substellar, can account for the variety of the observed nebular morphologies. Aims. In a quest for empirical evidence verifying or disproving the role of magnetic fields in shaping planetary nebulae, we follow up on previous attempts to measure the magnetic field in a representative sample of PN central stars. Methods. We obtained low-resolution polarimetric spectra with FORS2 installed on the Antu telescope of the VLT for a sample of 12 bright central stars of PNe with different morphologies, including two round nebulae, seven elliptical nebulae, and three bipolar nebulae. Two targets are Wolf-Rayet type central stars. Results. For the majority of the observed central stars, we do not find any significant evidence for the existence of surface magnetic fields. However, our measurements may indicate the presence of weak mean longitudinal magnetic fields of the order of 100 Gauss in the central star of the young elliptical planetary nebula IC 418 as well as in the Wolf-Rayet type central star of the bipolar nebula Hen 2-113 and the weak emission line central star of the elliptical nebula Hen 2-131. A clear detection of a 250 G mean longitudinal field is achieved for the A-type companion of the central star of NGC 1514. Some of the central stars show a moderate night-to-night spectrum variability, which may be the signature of a variable stellar wind and/or rotational modulation due to magnetic features. Conclusions. Since our analysis indicates only weak fields, if any, in a few targets of our sample, we conclude that strong magnetic fields of the order of kG are not widespread among PNe central stars. Nevertheless, simple estimates based on a theoretical model of magnetized wind bubbles suggest that even weak magnetic fields below the current detection limit of the order of 100 G may well be sufficient to contribute to the shaping of the surrounding nebulae throughout their evolution. Our current sample is too small to draw conclusions about a correlation between nebular morphology and the presence of stellar magnetic fields. KW - planetary nebulae: general KW - stars: magnetic field KW - stars: AGB and post-AGB KW - binaries: close KW - techniques: polarimetric Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201423842 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 570 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hubrig, Swetlana A1 - Fossati, Luca A1 - Carroll, Thorsten Anthony A1 - Castro, Norberto A1 - Gonzalez, J. F. A1 - Ilyin, Ilya A1 - Przybilla, Norbert A1 - Schoeller, M. A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Morel, T. A1 - Langer, N. A1 - Scholz, Ralf-Dieter A1 - Kharchenko, N. V. A1 - Nieva, M. -F. T1 - B fields in OB stars (BOB): The discovery of a magnetic field in a multiple system in the Trifid nebula, one of the youngest star forming regions JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Aims. Recent magnetic field surveys in O- and B-type stars revealed that about 10% of the core-hydrogen-burning massive stars host large-scale magnetic fields. The physical origin of these fields is highly debated. To identify and model the physical processes responsible for the generation of magnetic fields in massive stars, it is important to establish whether magnetic massive stars are found in very young star-forming regions or whether they are formed in close interacting binary systems. Methods. In the framework of our ESO Large Program, we carried out low-resolution spectropolarimetric observations with FORS 2 in 2013 April of the three most massive central stars in the Trifid nebula, HD 164492A, HD 164492C, and HD 164492D. These observations indicated a strong longitudinal magnetic field of about 500-600 G in the poorly studied component HD 164492C. To confirm this detection, we used HARPS in spectropolarimetric mode on two consecutive nights in 2013 June. Results. Our HARPS observations confirmed the longitudinal magnetic field in HD 164492C. Furthermore, the HARPS observations revealed that HD 164492C cannot be considered as a single star as it possesses one or two companions. The spectral appearance indicates that the primary is most likely of spectral type B1-B1.5 V. Since in both observing nights most spectral lines appear blended, it is currently unclear which components are magnetic. Long-term monitoring using high-resolution spectropolarimetry is necessary to separate the contribution of each component to the magnetic signal. Given the location of the system HD 164492C in one of the youngest star formation regions, this system can be considered as a Rosetta Stone for our understanding of the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars. KW - binaries: close KW - stars: early-type KW - stars: fundamental parameters KW - stars: magnetic field KW - stars: variables: general KW - stars: individual: HD 164492C Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201423490 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 564 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER -