Antisolar differential rotation with surface lithium enrichment on the single K-giant V1192 Orionis^⋆

¹ Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Konkoly Thege út 15-17, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
e-mail: kovari@konkoly.hu
² Leibniz-Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany
³ Eötvös University, Department of Astronomy, Pf. 32, 1518 Budapest, Hungary

Received: 4 May 2017
Accepted: 1 August 2017

Abstract

Context. Stars with about 1−2 solar masses at the red giant branch (RGB) represent an intriguing period of stellar evolution, i.e. when the convective envelope interacts with the fast-rotating core. During these mixing episodes freshly synthesized lithium can come up to the stellar surface along with high angular momentum material. This high angular momentum may alter the surface rotation pattern.

Aims. The single rapidly rotating K-giant V1192 Ori is revisited to determine its surface differential rotation, lithium abundance, and basic stellar properties such as a precise rotation period. The aim is to independently verify the antisolar differential rotation of the star and possibly find a connection to the surface lithium abundance.

Methods. We applied time-series Doppler imaging to a new multi-epoch data set. Altogether we reconstructed 11 Doppler images from spectroscopic data collected with the STELLA robotic telescope between 2007–2016. We used our inversion code iMap to reconstruct all stellar surface maps. We extracted the differential rotation from these images by tracing systematic spot migration as a function of stellar latitude from consecutive image cross-correlations.

Results. The position of V1192 Ori in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram suggests that the star is in the helium core-burning phase just leaving the RGB bump. We measure A(Li)_NLTE = 1.27, i.e. a value close to the anticipated transition value of 1.5 from Li-normal to Li-rich giants. Doppler images reveal extended dark areas arranged quasi-evenly along an equatorial belt. No cool polar spot is found during the investigated epoch. Spot displacements clearly suggest antisolar surface differential rotation with α = − 0.11 ± 0.02 shear coefficient.

Conclusions. The surface Li enrichment and the peculiar surface rotation pattern may indicate a common origin.