Detalles de publicación
PP 014037
Upper limits to the magnetic field in central stars of planetary nebulae
(1) Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
(2) Universidad de La Laguna
(3) Universitá di Catania
More than about twenty central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) have been
observed spectropolarimetrically, yet no clear, unambiguous signal of the
presence of a magnetic field in these objects has been found. We perform a
statistical (Bayesian) analysis of all the available spectropolarimetric
observations of CSPN to constrain the magnetic fields on these objects.
Assuming that the stellar field is dipolar and that the dipole axis of the
objects are oriented randomly (isotropically), we find that the dipole magnetic
field strength is smaller than 400 G with 95% probability using all available
observations. The analysis introduced allows integration of future
observations to further constrain the parameters of the distribution, and it
is general, so that it can be easily applied to other classes of magnetic
objects. We propose several ways improve the upper limits found here.
observed spectropolarimetrically, yet no clear, unambiguous signal of the
presence of a magnetic field in these objects has been found. We perform a
statistical (Bayesian) analysis of all the available spectropolarimetric
observations of CSPN to constrain the magnetic fields on these objects.
Assuming that the stellar field is dipolar and that the dipole axis of the
objects are oriented randomly (isotropically), we find that the dipole magnetic
field strength is smaller than 400 G with 95% probability using all available
observations. The analysis introduced allows integration of future
observations to further constrain the parameters of the distribution, and it
is general, so that it can be easily applied to other classes of magnetic
objects. We propose several ways improve the upper limits found here.