The molecular envelope around the red supergiant VY CMa

Abstract

We present millimeter interferometric observations of the molecular envelope around the red supergiant VY CMa with the SubMillimeter Array (SMA). The high angular resolution (< 2'') allows us to derive the structure of the envelope as observed in the 1.3 mm continuum, 12CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1) and SO(6,5-5,4) lines emission. The circumstellar envelope is resolved into three components: a dense, compact and dusty central component, embedded in a more diffuse and extended envelope plus a high velocity component. We construct a simple model, consisting of a spherically symmetric slowly expanding envelope and bipolar outflows with a wide opening angle (~ 120 deg.) viewed close to the line of sight (i = 15 deg.). Our model can explain the main features of the SMA data and previous single-dish CO multi-line observations. An episode of enhanced mass loss along the bipolar direction is inferred from our modelling. The SMA data provide a better understanding of the complicated morphology seen in the optical/IR high resolution observations.

accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (15)

• The Submillimeter Array
• Probing the mass-loss history of AGB and red supergiant stars from CO rotational line profiles I. Theoretical model -- Mass-loss history unravelled in VY CMa
• The last gasps of VY CMa: Aperture synthesis and adaptive optics imagery
• Mass loss and rotational CO emission from Asymptotic Giant Branch stars
• Full polarization study of SiO masers at 86 GHz
• High Resolution, Long - Slit Spectroscopy of VY CMa: The Evidence for Localized High Mass Loss Events
• Magnetic Field, Dust, and Axisymmetrical Mass Loss on the AGB
• High velocity bipolar outflow and disk-like envelope in the carbon star V Hya
• Turbulent Dynamo in Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars
• The Infrared Continuum Spectrum of VY CMa
• Maps of the Molecular Emission Around 18 Evolved Stars
• Spatially extended K I 7699 emission in the nebula of VY CMa: Kinematics and geometry
• Interferometric Observation of the Highly Polarized SiO Maser Emission from the $v=1,J=5-4$ Transition Associated with VY Canis Majoris
• Disk-Like Structure in the Semi-Regular Pulsating Star, X Her
• Radio Photosphere and Mass-Loss Envelope of VY CMa

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