Identifications in the Spectra of Eta Carinae and RR Telescopii

Abstract

Wave-lengths and intensity estimates of lines in the spectra of Eta Carinae and RR Telescopii between 3700 and 8900 A are presented. Both spectra are characterized by strong Fe II emission, forbidden and permitted, and by weak continua. Representations of individual elements in the two stars are discussed in Section 4 (Eta Carinae) and in Section 8 (RR Tel). Doubly ionized elements (especially O, Ne, S, A and Fe) are better represented in RR Tel which shows in 1952 a transition between the “ Eta Carinae ” and “ nebular ” stages of a slow nova. Oxygen lines, permitted and forbidden, are so much stronger in RR Tel that a deficiency of O in Eta Carinae is rather strongly indicated. A few unidentified lines are listed in Table VI. The strongest (in Eta Carinae) is in the infra-red at about 8493 A. The relative intensities of [Fe II] lines agree generally with the order of prominence suggested in the Revised Multiplet Table , but a few exceptions are noted (Section 6). The strongest lines in Eta Carinae have structures characteristic of Type III in Beals's classification of P Cygni profiles (Section 5). They are accompanied by diffuse absorptions with velocities about – 450 km/s. These absorptions are found accompanying 12 strong [Fe II] lines. The double emission peaks are best marked for H and [Fe III]. Similar displaced absorptions are found in a few He lines in RR Tel with velocities – 685 (1951) and – 865 km/s (1952).