Structure of the expanding atmosphere of P Cygni

Abstract

With the aid of the spectra taken in the years 1959–1968, a physical analysis of the atmosphere of P Cygni has been carried out and the motions of the atmosphere have been studied. The variations of radial velocities, the velocity progressions of Balmer and Hei lines, the high rate of mass loss (2×10⁻⁵ M _⊙yr⁻¹), the features of the observed line profiles, especially that of H-K lines of Caii andD ₁-D ₂ lines of Nai confirm the conclusion of Van Blerkom (1978), concerning the assumption of an accelerating atmosphere for P Cygni. The electron density variation with the radius seems to ben _e ∝r ^−5/2, with an average value of 7×10¹¹cm⁻³ at the lower boundary of the atmosphere.

In order to explain the two absorption components of observed lines, an atmospheric model based on the assumption of three envelopes, two of which accelerate gradually with two different velocity laws (up to 11.2r _c ), and the third of which accelerates rapidly with a standard velocity law (beyond 11.2r _c ) has been developed. From this model and the observed profiles, the geometrical thicknesses of the line-forming regions of Hα, Hβ, Hγ, and Hδ are derived.