epsilon Aurigae--an Overview of the 2009-2011 Eclipse Campaign Results

Volume 40 number 2 (2012)

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Robert E. Stencel

University of Denver, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2112 E. Wesley Avenue, Denver, CO 80208; rstencel@du.edu

Abstract

Evidence is provided from the array of observations amassed during the 2009–2011 eclipse, that defines the enigmatic binary e Aurigae as comprised of an unstable F0-1 Iab star in orbit around a comparable mass upper main sequence star (or stars) enshrouded in a disk resulting from F star mass loss. In this picture, the F star may be undergoing rapid evolutionary changes, and the recent 67-day primary quasi-period may make it suitable for asteroseismic studies. The hidden star(s) may have gained mass from the F star, and the disk itself provides opportunities for study of accretion, dust evolution, and dynamics.