Astronomy:Xi1 Canis Majoris

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Short description: Star in the constellation Canis Major
ξ1 Canis Majoris
Location of ξ1 Canis Majoris (circled)
Observation data
Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS)
Constellation Canis Major[1]
Right ascension  06h 31m 51.366s[2]
Declination −23° 25′ 06.32″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.33 to 4.36[3]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage main sequence[4]
Spectral type B1III[5] or B0.7IV[6]
U−B color index −0.98[7]
B−V color index −0.24[7]
Variable type β Cep[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+26.9[8] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −3.352[2] mas/yr
Dec.: +6.157[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)2.1660 ± 0.1257[2] mas
Distance1,510 ± 90 ly
(460 ± 30 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−3.86[4]
Details
Mass14.2±0.4[4] M
Radius7.9±0.6[4] R
Luminosity30,900+8,900
−6,900
[4] L
Surface gravity (log g)3.78±0.07[4] cgs
Temperature27,000±1,000[4] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.18[1] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)0[4] km/s
Age11.1±0.7[4] Myr
Other designations
ξ1 CMa, 4 Canis Majoris, CD−23°3991, GC 8496, HD 46328, HIP 31125, HR 2387, SAO 171895, ADS 5176, CCDM 06319-2325[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Xi1 Canis Majoris is a blue-white variable star in the constellation Canis Major. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from ξ1 Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Xi1 CMa or ξ1 CMa. This star is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.3.[3] Based on an annual parallax shift of 2.17 mas,[2] it is located at a distance of approximately 1,510 light-years (460 pc) from Earth.

Properties

The stellar classification of Xi1 Canis Majoris matches an early-type B-type star. It has generally been assigned a luminosity class of III (giant) or IV (subgiant), for example B1III[5] or B0.5IV.[4][6] Comparison of its properties with model evolutionary tracks suggest that it is a main sequence star about three quarters of the way through its main sequence lifetime.[4] Its estimated age is 11 million years.[4] This is a massive star with 14 times the mass of the Sun and 8 times the Sun's radius.[4] It is radiating 30,900[4] times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 27,000 K.[4]

A light curve for Xi1 Canis Majoris, plotted from TESS data[10]

ξ1 Canis Majoris is classified as a Beta (β) Cephei variable that ranges from magnitude +4.33 to +4.36 with a period of 5.03 hours.[3] This period has remained very stable, changing by no more than one second per century.[11] Its pulsations cause its radius to vary by 1.0% to 1.5%. At the same time its effective temperature varies by about 500 K above and below its mean temperature.[4]

It has the longest known rotation period of any B class star, taking around 30 years to complete one revolution on its axis.[12] This is thought to be due to magnetic braking; ξ1 Canis Majoris has the strongest magnetic field of any β Cephei star and would be expected to spin down completely in around four million years. It also has the strongest and hardest X-ray emission of any β Cephei star.[4] The X-ray emission varies in phase with the optical pulsations. The stellar wind from ξ1 Canis Majoris is very weak with a terminal velocity of 700 km/s; the star is losing less than 10−10 M·yr−1.[11]

This star forms a naked eye pairing with ξ2 Canis Majoris a little less than a degree away. The Washington Double Star Catalog lists two 14th magnitude companions at an angular separation of about 27.[13] In addition, an unseen close companion is suspected due to some faint emission lines in the spectrum that are best explained by a Be star that is invisible against the brighter primary.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012). "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation". Astronomy Letters 38 (5): 331. doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. Bibcode2012AstL...38..331A  XHIP record for this object at VizieR.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Vallenari, A. et al. (2022). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940  Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "International Variable Star Index". American Association of Variable Star Observers. https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=5509. 
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 Shultz, M. et al. (2017). "The pulsating magnetosphere of the extremely slowly rotating magnetic β Cep star ξ1 CMa". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 471 (2): 2286. doi:10.1093/mnras/stx1632. Bibcode2017MNRAS.471.2286S. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hubrig, S. et al. (January 2009). "New magnetic field measurements of beta Cephei stars and Slowly Pulsating B stars". Astronomische Nachrichten 330 (4): 317. doi:10.1002/asna.200811187. Bibcode2009AN....330..317H. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 Negueruela, I. et al. (2024). "The IACOB project: XII. New grid of northern standards for the spectral classification of B-type stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics 690: id. A176. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202449298. Bibcode2024A&A...690A.176N. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 Johnson, H. L. et al. (1966). "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars". Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory 4 (99): 99. Bibcode1966CoLPL...4...99J. 
  8. Evans, D. S. (June 20–24, 1966). "Determination of Radial Velocities and their Applications, Proceedings from IAU Symposium no. 30". in Batten, Alan Henry; Heard, John Frederick. 30. 57. Bibcode1967IAUS...30...57E. 
  9. "ksi01 CMa". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=ksi01+CMa. 
  10. "MAST: Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes". Space Telescope Science Institute. https://mast.stsci.edu/portal/Mashup/Clients/Mast/Portal.html. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 Oskinova, Lidia M. et al. (June 2014). "Discovery of X-ray pulsations from a massive star". Nature Communications 5: id. 4024. doi:10.1038/ncomms5024. Bibcode2014NatCo...5.4024O. 
  12. Shultz, M. et al. (2018). "The pulsationally modulated radial crossover signature of the slowly rotating magnetic B-type star ξ1 CMa". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 478 (1): L39. doi:10.1093/mnrasl/sly070. Bibcode2018MNRAS.478L..39S. 
  13. Mason, Brian D. et al. (2001). "The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog". The Astronomical Journal 122 (6): 3466. doi:10.1086/323920. Bibcode2001AJ....122.3466M.