Theta Coronae Borealis

θ Coronae Borealis

y, v, b and u light curves for the variability seen in Theta Coronae Borealis during 1970. Adapted from Roark (1971)[1]
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Corona Borealis
Right ascension 15h 32m 55.78214s[2]
Declination +31° 21′ 32.8762″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) A: 4.06 - 4.33[3]
B: 6.29[4]
Characteristics
Spectral type B6Vnne[5] + A2?[6]
Variable type Be[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−25.7±0.3[7] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −20.15[2] mas/yr
Dec.: −9.39[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)8.69 ± 0.46 mas[2]
Distance380 ± 20 ly
(115 ± 6 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−1.16[8]
Details
A
Mass4.2[6] M☉
Radius3.3[6] R☉
Luminosity538[8] L☉
Temperature14,000[6] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)385[9] km/s
Age85[6] Myr
B
Mass2.5[6] M☉
Other designations
4 CrB, BD+31°2750, FK5 576, HD 138749, HIP 76127, HR 5778, SAO 64769[10]
Database references
SIMBADdata
A
B

Theta Coronae Borealis, Latinized from θ Coronae Borealis, is a binary star system in the constellation Corona Borealis. It shines with a combined apparent visual magnitude (V band) of 4.13.[10] There are two components: Theta Coronae Borealis A with an apparent magnitude of about 4.2, while Theta Coronae Borealis B lies around 1 arcsecond distant and has an apparent magnitude of 6.29. The system is located around 375 light-years from Earth, as estimated from its parallax of 8.69 milliarcseconds.[2] It is estimated to be 85 million years old, with the primary star expected to remain on the main sequence burning its core hydrogen for another 75 million years and the secondary around 500 million years.[6] Both stars will cool and expand once their core hydrogen is exhausted, becoming red giants.

The brighter component, Theta Coronae Borealis A, is a blue-white star that spins extremely rapidly—at a rate of around 393 km per second.[6] This rapid spinning is thought to be the cause of a gaseous disk that surrounds the star: such stars are known as Be shell stars, recognizable because the gas radiates emission lines that give a characteristic pattern in the star's spectrum.[11] Of spectral type B6Vnn, Theta Coronae Borealis A is around six times as massive as the Sun and has four times the diameter. It has a surface temperature of around 14910 K.[12] In 1970, it faded by 0.7 magnitude, becoming 50% fainter. The cause for this is unknown, but thought possibly due to ejection of dust that obscured the star's light.[6]

Theta Coronae Borealis B is a white main sequence star of spectral type A2V that is around 2.5 times as massive as the Sun and located 86 astronomical units from the primary star, the two stars taking an estimated 300 years to orbit around a common centre of gravity.[6]

References

  1. ^ Roark, T. P. (September 1971). "Photometric variability of the Be star theta Corona Borealis". Astronomical Journal. 76: 634–638. Bibcode:1971AJ.....76..634R. doi:10.1086/111176. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600.
  3. ^ a b Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
  4. ^ Høg, E.; Fabricius, C.; Makarov, V. V.; Urban, S.; Corbin, T.; Wycoff, G.; Bastian, U.; Schwekendiek, P.; Wicenec, A. (March 2000). "The Tycho-2 catalogue of the 2.5 million brightest stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 355: L27–L30. Bibcode:2000A&A...355L..27H. ISSN 0004-6361.
  5. ^ Van Belle, Gerard T. (2012). "Interferometric observations of rapidly rotating stars". The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. 20 (1): 51. arXiv:1204.2572. Bibcode:2012A&ARv..20...51V. doi:10.1007/s00159-012-0051-2. S2CID 119273474.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kaler, James B. "Theta Coronae Borealis". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  7. ^ Gontcharov, G. A. (November 2006). "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system". Astronomy Letters. 32 (11): 759–771. arXiv:1606.08053. Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G. doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065. S2CID 119231169.
  8. ^ a b Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
  9. ^ van Belle, Gerard T. (March 2012). "Interferometric observations of rapidly rotating stars". The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. 20 (1): 51. arXiv:1204.2572. Bibcode:2012A&ARv..20...51V. doi:10.1007/s00159-012-0051-2. S2CID 119273474.
  10. ^ a b "* tet CrB". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  11. ^ Rivinius, Th.; Štefl, S.; Baade, D. (2006). "Bright Be-shell stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 459 (1): 137–145. Bibcode:2006A&A...459..137R. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053008.
  12. ^ Catanzaro, G. (2013). "Spectroscopic atlas of Hα and Hβ in a sample of northern Be stars". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 550 (A79): 18. arXiv:1212.6608. Bibcode:2013A&A...550A..79C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220357.