Program: GS-2008A-Q-42
Title: | Eta Carinae's Continuing Instability and Recovery -- The 2009 ``Event'' |
PI: | Kris Davidson |
Co-I(s): | John Martin, Roberta Humphreys, Fred Hamann, Gary Ferland, K Ishibashi |
Abstract
Eta Carinae gives us uniquely valuable clues to the behavior
of extremely massive stars, in the past it has revealed
major gaps in theory. Its 5.5-year cycle of spectroscopic
events is beginning to be useful in this regard.
Meanwhile, $\eta$ Car's structure can also be studied via
its unsteady recovery from the giant ``SN Impostor''
eruption observed in the 1840s. {\it There is strong evidence
that $\eta$ Car's recovery process entered a more rapid stage about 10 years
ago.\/} We know that the 2003.5 spectroscopic event differed
from that seen in 1998.0, but the earlier example was not
observed in sufficient detail. Thus it is extremely important
to observe the event predicted for 2009.0, in order to detect
and assess how it differs from the well-observed event of
2003.5. This is arguably one of the most specific observational
tasks that can be done in the near future regarding the
structure and instabilities of the most massive stars.
Publications using this program's data
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[data]
[ADS] N II λλ5668-5712: A New Class of Spectral Features in Eta Carinae
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[data]
[ADS] A Sea Change in Eta Carinae
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[data]
[ADS] Critical Differences and Clues in Eta Car's 2009 Event
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[data]
[ADS] Secular Changes in Eta Carinae's Wind 1998-2011
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[data]
[ADS] Eta Carinae’s 2014.6 Spectroscopic Event: The Extraordinary He II and N II Features
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[data]
[ADS] Uncovering the orbital dynamics of stars hidden inside their powerful winds: application to η Carinae and RMC 140