Astronomy & Astrophysics

Free access article

A&A 403, 1023-1029 (2003)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20030498

Estimation of the mass loss, opening angle and mass of Be circumstellar disks from Br $\mathsf{\gamma}$ continuum emission and interferometric measurements

Ph. Stee

Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Département FRESNEL, CNRS UMR 6528, Site de Grasse-Roquevignon, Avenue Copernic, 06130 Grasse, France
(Received 2 December 2002 / Accepted 13 March 2003)

Abstract
Using the SIMECA code developed by Stee & Araùjo (1994); Stee et al. (1995) for Be stars we obtain a correlation between the mass loss rates ${\dot M}$ and the Br $\gamma$ continuum luminosity as a function of the opening angle of the disk. We show that this correlation is similar to those obtained by Scuderi et al. (1998) for O-B supergiants. We found that the wind density at the base of the photosphere, from a sample of 8 Be stars, lies between 10 ^-13 and 10 ^-12 g cm ^-3. We also present a relationship between the mass of the circumstellar disk and the 2.16 $\mu$ m flux. Finally we emphasize how interferometric measurements can help to estimate the wind density and we present a sample of 16 Be stars with predicted visibilities that can be observed with the VLTI.

Key words: stars: emission line, Be -- stars: winds, outflows -- technique: interferometric

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Estimation of the mass loss, opening angle and mass of Be circumstellar disks from Br continuum emission and interferometric measurements

Estimation of the mass loss, opening angle and mass of Be circumstellar disks from Br $\mathsf{\gamma}$ continuum emission and interferometric measurements