Tau⁹ Eridani

Tau⁹ Eridani (τ⁹ Eri) is a binary star in the constellation Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.63.[2] The distance to this system can be estimated using the parallax method, which yields a value of roughly 327 light years.[2]

For other star systems with this Bayer designation, see Tau Eridani.

τ⁹ Eridani

Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation	Eridanus
Right ascension	03^h 59^m 55.48381^s[1]
Declination	−24° 00′ 58.3798″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	4.63[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	B9.5V Si[3]
U−B color index	−0.40[2]
B−V color index	−0.13[2]
Variable type	α^2 CVn[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	25.5±0.5[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: +12.12[1] mas/yr Dec.: +16.48[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	9.96 ± 0.22[1] mas
Distance	327 ± 7 ly (100 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−0.44[4]
Orbit[6]
Period (P)	5.9537 days
Eccentricity (e)	0.1
Periastron epoch (T)	2417600.95 JD
Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary)	151°
Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary)	37.6 km/s
Details
τ^9 Eri A
Mass	3.26[7] M☉
Radius	3.26[7] R☉
Luminosity	166[8] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	4.11±0.11[9] cgs
Temperature	10,866[8] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	30[10] km/s
Other designations
τ^9 Eridani, τ^9 Eri, 36 Eridani, CD−24° 2022, FK5 2287, HD 25267, HIP 18673, HR 1240, SAO 169017.[11]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary system with an orbital period of 5.9537 days and an eccentricity of 0.1.[6] The primary component, τ⁹ Eri A, is a magnetic chemically peculiar star[7] with a stellar classification of B9.5V Si,[3] indicating that it is a B-type main sequence star that shows abundance anomalies in its silicon absorption lines.[3] It is an Alpha² Canum Venaticorum variable[4] with a rotational periodicity of 5.954 days.[12] The averaged strength of the stellar effective magnetic field is 240.6±91.0 G.[3]

Tau⁹ Eridani A has an estimated 326%[7] the mass of the Sun and 3.1 times the Sun's radius.[9] It shines with 166[8] times the solar luminosity from an outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 10,866 K.[8] The star is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 30 km/s.[10]

References

1. van Leeuwen, F. (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.
2. Mermilliod, J.-C. (1986), Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished), SIMBAD, Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M.
3. Bychkov, V. D.; et al. (April 2009), "Catalogue of averaged stellar effective magnetic fields - II. Re-discussion of chemically peculiar A and B stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 394 (3): 1338–1350, Bibcode:2009MNRAS.394.1338B, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.14227.x.
4. Dubath, P.; et al. (2011), "Random forest automated supervised classification of Hipparcos periodic variable stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 414 (3): 2602–2617, arXiv:1101.2406, Bibcode:2011MNRAS.414.2602D, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18575.x.
5. De Bruijne, J. H. J.; Eilers, A.-C. (2012), "Radial velocities for the HIPPARCOS-Gaia Hundred-Thousand-Proper-Motion project", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 546: A61, arXiv:1208.3048, Bibcode:2012A&A...546A..61D, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219219.
6. Pourbaix, D.; et al. (2004), "S_B⁹: The ninth catalogue of spectroscopic binary orbits", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 424 (2): 727–732, arXiv:astro-ph/0406573, Bibcode:2004A&A...424..727P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041213.
7. Shulyak, D.; et al. (September 2014), "Interferometry of chemically peculiar stars: theoretical predictions versus modern observing facilities", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 443 (2): 1629–1642, arXiv:1406.6093, Bibcode:2014MNRAS.443.1629S, doi:10.1093/mnras/stu1259.
8. McDonald, I.; et al. (2012), "Fundamental Parameters and Infrared Excesses of Hipparcos Stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427 (1): 343–57, arXiv:1208.2037, Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..343M, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21873.x.
9. North, P. (June 1998), "Do SI stars undergo any rotational braking?", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 334: 181–187, arXiv:astro-ph/9802286, Bibcode:1998A&A...334..181N.
10. Abt, Helmut A.; et al. (July 2002), "Rotational Velocities of B Stars", The Astrophysical Journal, 573 (1): 359–365, Bibcode:2002ApJ...573..359A, doi:10.1086/340590.
11. "tau09 Eri". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
12. Bychkov, V. D.; et al. (February 2005), "A catalog of stellar magnetic rotational phase curves", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 430: 1143–1154, Bibcode:2005A&A...430.1143B, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20034563.