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Session 57 - Astrophysical Diagnostics from Polarimetry.
Display session, Wednesday, June 12
Tripp Commons,
Recent broadband linear polarimetry from Limber Observatory has recorded another of the recurrent outbursts of the Be star ømega Orionis. Beginning in late 1995, the B polarization rose from a low of 0.28% to a high of 0.56% in 47 days and then began a gradual decline.
Based on an IRAF PDM analysis of the combined polarization data from McDonald, Dodaira, Pine Bluff, and Limber Observatories from 1984 to 1996, we find statistically significant evidence for a periodicity of 337 days in similar outburst events. However, even though the phase plot (which is non-sinusoidal) is well-sampled and shows a reasonably small scatter, the apparent ``periodicity'' might be an artifact of the annual monitoring cycle combined with gradual long-term changes. This poster will describe our effort to separate the two time scales of variability with the help of extensive photometry data covering the same time interval.
