July 11-15, 2011
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Abstract

PAVO high angular resolution observations of B-type rapid rotators

Vicente Maestro (University of Sydney)

Michael Ireland (Macquarie University), Peter Tuthill (University of Sydney), Daniel Huber (University of Sydney)

Tidal distortions and thermal anisotropies due to gravity darkening are common among rapid rotating stars. These features encode directly the physics of these stars, and are accessible nowadays to optical interferometric techniques.

The PAVO instrument located at CHARA array is known as the instrument with the highest intrinsic spatial resolution. Collection of a significant amount of PAVO observations on a sample of selected targets suitable for PAVO capabilities (with angular sizes < 1 miliarcsec) will allow us to create images of rapid rotators in an unprecedented detail, helping us to discriminate between different models that account for surface brightness and temperature changes.

We present the first results of our study. Simple models including some basic assumptions on the shape and symmetry of some observed stars have been fitted, constraining the values of some of the physical parameters of these stars.

Mode of presentation: poster