Zooming into Eta Carinae with interferometry. Issue Volume 9:Issue S307(2014) (23rd January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Groh, Jose H.
• Editors: Meynet, Georges; Georgy, Cyril; Groh, José; Stee, Philippe
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Volume 9:Issue S307(2014)
• Page Start: 267
• Page End: 272
• Publication Date: 2015-01-23
• Subjects: stars: atmospheres stars: individual (Eta Carinae) stars: mass-loss stars: rotation stars: variables: general supergiants; Astronomy -- Congresses; Astronomy -- Periodicals; 520
• DOI: 10.1017/S1743921314006917
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-9213

Abstract

Abstract: Shaped by strong mass loss, rapid rotation, and/or the presence of a close companion, the circumstellar environment around the most massive stars is complex and anything but spherical. Here we provide a brief overview of the high spatial resolution observations of Eta Carinae performed with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Special emphasis is given to discuss VLTI/AMBER and VLTI/VINCI observations, which directly resolve spatial scales comparable to those where mass loss originates. Studying scales as small as a few milli-arcseconds allows us to investigate kinematical effects of rotation and binarity in more detail than ever before.