Title: Is Mira a magneto-dusty rotator? Authors: Anand Thirumalai, Jeremy S. Heyl
We investigate the possibility that a magnetic field may be present in the star o-Ceti (hereafter, Mira) and that the field plays a role in the star's mass loss. The model presented here is an application of an earlier derived theory that has been successfully employed for intermediate and high-mass evolved stars, and is now extended to the low-mass end. The modelling shows that it is possible to obtain a hybrid magnetohydrodynamic-dust-driven wind scenario for Mira, in which the role of a magnetic field in the equatorial plane of the star is dynamically important for producing a stellar wind. The wind velocity and the temperatures obtained from the model appear consistent with findings elsewhere.
Video aimed at northern hemisphere observers about the variable star Mira in the constellation Cetus, that has recently peaked in brightness. Mira is at it's brightest this peak, at around magnitude 2.1 in October of 2011. It will decrease by about one magnitude per month, likely diminishing to it's typical low magnitude of around 9.
David Fabricius (March 9, 1564 - May 7, 1617) discovered the first known periodic variable star (as opposed to cataclysmic variables, such as novas and supernovas), Mira, in August of 1596. At first he believed it to be "just" another nova, as the whole concept of a recurring variable did not exist at the time. When he saw Mira brighten again in 1609, however, it became clear that a new kind of object had been discovered in the sky. Read more
Evidence that the variability of Mira was known in ancient China, Babylon or Greece is at best only circumstantial. What is certain is that the variability of Mira was recorded by the astronomer David Fabricius beginning on August 3, 1596. Observing the planet Mercury, he needed a reference star for comparing positions and picked a previously unremarked third-magnitude star nearby. By August 21, however, it had increased in brightness by one magnitude, then by October had faded from view. Fabricius assumed it was a nova, but then saw it again on February 16, 1609. Read more
Title: Herschel's view into Mira's head Authors: A. Mayer, A. Jorissen, F. Kerschbaum, S. Mohamed, S. Van Eck, R. Ottensamer, J.A.D.L. Blommaert, L. Decin, M.A.T. Groenewegen, Th. Posch, B. Vandenbussche, C. Waelkens
Herschel's PACS instrument observed the environment of the binary system Mira Ceti in the 70 and 160 micron bands. These images reveal bright structures shaped as five broken arcs and fainter filaments in the ejected material of Mira's primary star. The overall shape of the IR emission around Mira deviates significantly from the expected alignment with Mira's exceptionally high space velocity. The observed broken arcs are neither connected to each other nor are they of a circular shape; they stretch over angular ranges of 80 to 100 degrees. By comparing Herschel and GALEX data, we found evidence for the disruption of the IR arcs by the fast outflow visible in both Halpha and the far UV. Radial intensity profiles are derived, which place the arcs at distances of 6-85" (550 - 8000 AU) from the binary. Mira's IR environment appears to be shaped by the complex interaction of Mira's wind with its companion, the bipolar jet, and the ISM.
Title: Herschel's view into Mira's head Author(s): A. Mayer, A. Jorissen, F. Kerschbaum, S. Mohamed, S. van Eck, R. Ottensamer, J.A.D.L. Blommaert, L. Decin, M.A.T. Groenewegen, Th. Posch, B. Vandenbussche, Ch. Waelkens