The complex fossil magnetic field of the δ Scuti star HD 41641

• Published in: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Main Authors: Thomson-Paressant, K, Neiner, C, Zwintz, K, Escorza, A
• Other Authors: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2020
• Subjects: narval
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3442; http://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/staa3442/34136049/staa3442.pdf; http://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/500/2/1992/34463146/staa3442.pdf

ABSTRACT Only three magnetic δ Scuti stars are known as of today. HD 41641 is a δ Scuti star showing chemical peculiarities and rotational modulation of its light curve, making it a good magnetic candidate. We acquired spectropolarimetric observations of this star with NARVAL at Télescope Bernard Lyot (TBL) to search for the presence of a magnetic field and characterize it. We indeed clearly detect a magnetic field in HD 41641, making it the fourth known magnetic δ Scuti star. Our analysis shows that the field is of fossil origin, like magnetic OBA stars, but with a complex field structure rather than the much more usual dipolar structure.