Open AccessThe potential magnetic field of AB Doradus: comparison with Zeeman‐‐Doppler images
Author(s) -
Jardine Moira,
Barnes John R.,
Donati JeanFrancois,
Cameron Andrew Collier
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02621.x
Subject(s) - physics , zeeman effect , azimuth , field (mathematics) , magnetic field , astrophysics , doppler effect , boundary (topology) , computational physics , astronomy , quantum mechanics , mathematics , pure mathematics , mathematical analysis
We have modelled the global‐magnetic‐field topology of the young, rapidly rotating K0 dwarf AB Dor by assuming that the field is potential and using as a boundary condition Zeeman‐‐Doppler images of the surface radial field obtained over three consecutive years. For each of the observed radial‐field distributions, we calculate the azimuthal component of the corresponding potential field. We then compare at each epoch (by means of cross‐correlation) the potential and observed azimuthal‐field distributions, and find that there is a good correlation for magnetic features at latitudes below 60°. Above this latitude, the potential field fails to reproduce the almost unidirectional band of azimuthal field that is observed and the correlation is correspondingly poor.