Boyajian, TS;
Alonso, R;
Ammerman, A;
Armstrong, D;
Ramos, AA;
Barkaoui, K;
Beatty, TG;
... Zsidi, G; + view all
(2018)
The First Post-Kepler Brightness Dips of KIC 8462852.
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
, 853
(1)
, Article L8. 10.3847/2041-8213/aaa405.
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Abstract
We present a photometric detection of the first brightness dips of the unique variable star KIC 8462852 since the end of the Kepler space mission in 2013 May. Our regular photometric surveillance started in 2015 October, and a sequence of dipping began in 2017 May continuing on through the end of 2017, when the star was no longer visible from Earth. We distinguish four main 1%–2.5% dips, named "Elsie," "Celeste," "Skara Brae," and "Angkor," which persist on timescales from several days to weeks. Our main results so far are as follows: (i) there are no apparent changes of the stellar spectrum or polarization during the dips and (ii) the multiband photometry of the dips shows differential reddening favoring non-gray extinction. Therefore, our data are inconsistent with dip models that invoke optically thick material, but rather they are in-line with predictions for an occulter consisting primarily of ordinary dust, where much of the material must be optically thin with a size scale Lt1 μm, and may also be consistent with models invoking variations intrinsic to the stellar photosphere. Notably, our data do not place constraints on the color of the longer-term "secular" dimming, which may be caused by independent processes, or probe different regimes of a single process.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The First Post-Kepler Brightness Dips of KIC 8462852 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3847/2041-8213/aaa405 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa405 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is the published version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | comets: general; stars: activity; stars: individual (KIC 8462852); stars: peculiar |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10043499 |
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