R Aquarii: First Detection of Circumstellar SiO Maser Proper Motions

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Date
1997-10
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
Abstract

We have made the first detection of circumstellar SiO maser proper motions in the envelope of a late-type star. Using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), we have obtained observations at four epochs of the 43 GHz, upsilon = 1, J = 1-0 SiO maser emission toward the Mira variable in the symbiotic binary R Aqr. The maser emission has a ringlike structure approximately 31 mas across with a slight elongation in the north-south direction. We find that the emission changes significantly over a timescale of about 1-2 months with almost no similarity in structure for timescales greater than or similar to 6 months. Our observations show that over a 98 day period the masers have an average inward proper motion of about 1 mas. This contraction of the ring implies an infall velocity of about 4 km s(-1) for the SiO masers in the circumstellar envelope.

Description
Keywords
binaries, symbiotic, circumstellar matter, masers, stars, individual (r aquarii), stars, emission, w3(oh), radio, jet
Citation
D. A. Boboltz et al. 1997 ApJ 487 L147 doi:10.1086/310896