A Parameter Study of Classical Be Star Disk Models Constrained by Optical Interferometry

Jul, 2008
28 pages
Published in:
  • Astrophys.J. 687 (2008) 598
e-Print:

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Abstract: (arXiv)
We have computed theoretical models of circumstellar disks for the classical Be stars κ\kappa Dra, β\beta Psc, and υ\upsilon Cyg. Models were constructed using a non-LTE radiative transfer code developed by \citet{sig07} which incorporates a number of improvements over previous treatments of the disk thermal structure, including a realistic chemical composition. Our models are constrained by direct comparison with long baseline optical interferometric observations of the Hα\alpha emitting regions and by contemporaneous Hα\alpha line profiles. Detailed comparisons of our predictions with Hα\alpha interferometry and spectroscopy place very tight constraints on the density distributions for these circumstellar disks.