We report spectro-interferometric observations of the Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) η Car using the AMBER instrument of ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) 1. The observations around the He I 2.059 μm and the Brγ 2.166 μm emission lines allow us to investigate the wavelength dependence of the visibility, differential phase, and closure phase of η Car’s stellar wind region. If we fit visibility profiles derived from Hillier et al. models 2 to the AMBER visibilities, we obtain 50% encircled-energy diameters of 4.3, 6.5, and 9.6 mas in the 2.17 μm continuum, the He I, and the Brγ emission lines, respectively. For the interpretation of the non-zero differential and closure phases measured within the Brγ line, we developed a simple wind model. Our observations support theoretical models of winds from fast-rotating, luminous hot stars.
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Weigelt, G. et al. (2009). VLTI-AMBER Observations of η Carinae with High Spatial Resolution and Spectral Resolutions of λ/Δλ=1500 and 12 000* . In: Moorwood, A. (eds) Science with the VLT in the ELT Era. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9190-2_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9190-2_18
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