A&A Supplements series, Vol. 123, May II 1997, 173-177
Received March 13; accepted September 16, 1996
Cassiopeiae with the
GI2T interferometerK. Rousselet-Perraut
- F. Vakili
- D. Mourard
- F. Morand
- D. Bonneau
- Ph. Stee
Send offprint request: F. Vakili
IGRAP, Laboratoire d'Astronomie Spatiale, CNRS,
Traverse du Siphon, BP. 8, 13376, Marseille Cedex 12, France
Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Département Fresnel, CNRS URA 1361,
06460 Saint Vallier de Thiey, France
We report on the results of an observing run of 
Cassiopeiae using the
optical long baseline interferometer Grand Interféromètre à 2 Télescopes
(GI2T) in the southern France equipped with film-sheet polarizers. Four interferometric
baselines ranging from 20 to 40 m were obtained on this star during 1994 on September
5th and 6th, with 
Cephei as a calibrator. We aimed at detecting possible
variations of the angular diameter of 
Cas as a function of polarization
directions parallel and orthogonal to the north-south baseline of the GI2T. We do not
detect any variation of the visibility as a function of Hour Angle on 
Cephei,
neither on 
Cas. We find an upper limit of 1.3 on the ratio of the angular
diameters of the envelope of 
Cas seen through polarizers parallel and
perpendicular to the North-South direction of the GI2T's baseline. We discuss how
this limit could constrain density laws in the wind of this Be star. We clearly resolve
Cas for increasing baselines in the red continuum whatever the polarization.
Assuming the continuum flux originating from a photosphere surrounded by an elliptical
gaussian envelope we estimate the extent of the latter as (
) mas.
This diameter agrees well with the H
emitting envelope as obtained by other
interferometers.
keywords: circumstellar matter -- stars: Be - stars: individual
(
Cas) -- stars: imaging -- techniques: interferometric -- polarization