CFHT UM2025 - Presentation Details
Abstract Details
Title: First spectropolarimetric images of the Red Supergiant Antares
Presenter: Quentin Pilate
Abstract:
Red supergiants (RSGs) are among the brightest stars in the universe. Studying them is crucial for understanding how the interstellar medium is enriched through stellar winds. Recently, a new technique for imaging the photosphere of RSGs was successfully applied to Betelgeuse. This technique involves mapping bright spots on the surface using linear polarization. Using spectropolarimetric data from ESPaDOnS, we produced the first spectropolarimetric images of the RSG Antares, tracking its surface convection over two years and revealing large structures with typical timescales ranging from weeks to months. VISION will allow to simultaneously measure magnetic fields and explore whether they have any role in the triggering of mass loss events.