Doppler tomography of the Little Homunculus: High resolution spectra of [Fe II] 16435 around Eta Carinae

Abstract

High-resolution spectra of [Fe II] 16435 around eta Carinae provide powerful diagnostics of the geometry and kinematics of the ``Little Homunculus'' (LH) growing inside the larger Homunculus nebula. The LH expansion is not perfectly homologous: while low-latitudes are consistent with linear expansion since 1910, the polar caps imply ejection dates around 1920--1930. However, the expansion speed of the LH is slower than the post-eruption wind, so the star's powerful wind may accelerate it. With an initial ejection speed of 200 km/s in 1890, the LH would have been accelerated to its present speed if the mass is roughly 0.1 Msun. This agrees with an independent estimate of the LH mass based on its density and volume. In any case, an ejection after 1930 is ruled out. Using the LH as a probe of the 1890 event, then, it is evident that its most basic physical parameters (total mass and kinetic energy; 0.1 Msun and 10^46.9 ergs, respectively) are orders of magnitude less than during the giant eruption in the 1840s. Thus, the ultimate energy sources were different for these two events -- yet their ejecta have the same bipolar geometry. This clue may point toward a collimation mechanism separate from the underlying causes of the outbursts.

7 pages, 4 Figs, Fig 4 in color; Accepted by MNRAS

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