Multiline Zeeman signatures through line addition
Résumé
Context: To obtain a significant Zeeman signature in the polarised spectra of a magnetic star, we usually ``add'' the contributions of numerous spectral lines; the ultimate goal is to recover the spectropolarimetric prints of the magnetic field in these line additions.
Aims: Here we want to clarify the meaning of these techniques of line addition; in particular, we try to interpret the meaning of the ``pseudo-line'' formed during this process and to find out why and how its Zeeman signature is still meaningful.
Methods: We create a synthetic case of line addition and apply well tested standard solar methods routinely used in research on magnetism in the Sun.
Results: The results are convincing and the Zeeman signatures well detected; Solar methods are found to be quite efficient for stellar observations. We statistically compare line addition with least-squares deconvolution and demonstrate that they both give very similar results, as a consequence of the special statistical properties of the weights.
Conclusions: The Zeeman signatures are unequivocally detected in this multiline approach. We suggest that magnetic field detection is reliable well beyond the weak-field approximation. Linear polarisation in the spectra of solar type stars can be detected when the spectral resolution is sufficiently high.
Aims: Here we want to clarify the meaning of these techniques of line addition; in particular, we try to interpret the meaning of the ``pseudo-line'' formed during this process and to find out why and how its Zeeman signature is still meaningful.
Methods: We create a synthetic case of line addition and apply well tested standard solar methods routinely used in research on magnetism in the Sun.
Results: The results are convincing and the Zeeman signatures well detected; Solar methods are found to be quite efficient for stellar observations. We statistically compare line addition with least-squares deconvolution and demonstrate that they both give very similar results, as a consequence of the special statistical properties of the weights.
Conclusions: The Zeeman signatures are unequivocally detected in this multiline approach. We suggest that magnetic field detection is reliable well beyond the weak-field approximation. Linear polarisation in the spectra of solar type stars can be detected when the spectral resolution is sufficiently high.